broken metatarsal 8 wks ago, will it ever get fully better?
Discussion
Hi
I was in training for the London Marathon, just setting out on a 20 mile run, when I fell down a pothole and, cutting a long story short, broke a bone in my left foot. It was in a slipper cast for 6 weeks which came off 2 weeks ago today. I had hoped that it would all be 100% by now and I would more or less be back running but I can still feel it.
It is a bit sore, especially if I bend my foot even quite mildly e.g. driving a car with a clutch, doing a bit of diy etc, things you would not even normally think about.
The Dr said to rest for 6 weeks after cast came off which I am doing so still 4 weeks to go, but it is worrying that it does not seem to be improving as I would have hoped. Obviously I don't want to rush back and damage it again but surely a fairly minor break should have knitted by now?
Has anybody else had a similar break and recovered to get back fully to normal, especially re distance running? If so what timescales?
Thanks
Phil
I was in training for the London Marathon, just setting out on a 20 mile run, when I fell down a pothole and, cutting a long story short, broke a bone in my left foot. It was in a slipper cast for 6 weeks which came off 2 weeks ago today. I had hoped that it would all be 100% by now and I would more or less be back running but I can still feel it.
It is a bit sore, especially if I bend my foot even quite mildly e.g. driving a car with a clutch, doing a bit of diy etc, things you would not even normally think about.
The Dr said to rest for 6 weeks after cast came off which I am doing so still 4 weeks to go, but it is worrying that it does not seem to be improving as I would have hoped. Obviously I don't want to rush back and damage it again but surely a fairly minor break should have knitted by now?
Has anybody else had a similar break and recovered to get back fully to normal, especially re distance running? If so what timescales?
Thanks
Phil
Yes it will. General consensus is circa 12 weeks for full recovery.
Not sure if you were non-weight bearing for 6 weeks but if you were, you muscles are likely to have wasted away, tendons tight as a gnat's bum and so on. You need to focus on physio (google is your friend) on your ankle/foot/leg area - stretching and mobility etc.
Are you not under the care of a consultant at the hospital? Surely all this was explained to you?
I broke my 5th metatarsal (Jones fracture) 6 weeks ago. Only just walking now - plenty of pain, tightness and soreness and I imagine I'm only halfway through my recovery and I can start jogging again.
It will come good, and you're right that you don't want to overdo it.
Not sure if you were non-weight bearing for 6 weeks but if you were, you muscles are likely to have wasted away, tendons tight as a gnat's bum and so on. You need to focus on physio (google is your friend) on your ankle/foot/leg area - stretching and mobility etc.
Are you not under the care of a consultant at the hospital? Surely all this was explained to you?
I broke my 5th metatarsal (Jones fracture) 6 weeks ago. Only just walking now - plenty of pain, tightness and soreness and I imagine I'm only halfway through my recovery and I can start jogging again.
It will come good, and you're right that you don't want to overdo it.
Thanks, it sounds like my break is probably healing fairly normally which is good to know. It tends to ache a little first thing in the morning but that soon wears off and can walk normally. There is very little discomfort and no real pain but i am taking things easy, no long walks and certainly no running. As has been recomended, i will not start either for another 4 weeks as dont want to rush and end up back at square one.
I have not driven a manual car since the break, I tried the Defender a week or so ago but the foot felt sore the next day so have put it back in the garage, and sticking to automatics for the time being!
I have not driven a manual car since the break, I tried the Defender a week or so ago but the foot felt sore the next day so have put it back in the garage, and sticking to automatics for the time being!
It does sound as if you're nearly there. Lucky sod 
I'm walking the dog around the orchards as it's my understanding that uneven ground is good for the rehabilitation process. I started last week at a 40-min-mile pace, am currently at 20-min-mile (still plenty of pain) and I have set a target to begin light jogging in another 3 weeks or so.
One thing I'm uncertain on, is the rehabilitation a case of "no pain, no gain" or do we stop when it's painful? The impression I got from the consultant was that it's okay to fight through the pain, as long as I'm comfortable with it but I read contrasting views on the internet
As its my right foot with the broken bone, I'm unable to drive at all. I do not trust myself to do any emergency stop if necessary!
I'm walking the dog around the orchards as it's my understanding that uneven ground is good for the rehabilitation process. I started last week at a 40-min-mile pace, am currently at 20-min-mile (still plenty of pain) and I have set a target to begin light jogging in another 3 weeks or so.
One thing I'm uncertain on, is the rehabilitation a case of "no pain, no gain" or do we stop when it's painful? The impression I got from the consultant was that it's okay to fight through the pain, as long as I'm comfortable with it but I read contrasting views on the internet
As its my right foot with the broken bone, I'm unable to drive at all. I do not trust myself to do any emergency stop if necessary!
You obviously have to "listen to your body" but my view has previously always been where possible to try and run through injuries, and I have been surprised on occasions where muscle injuries seem to have gone away with exercise, rather than rest.
When I fell down the pothole and broke my foot I assumed it was just a sprain and tried to run it off, covering 4 or 5 miles before I had to stop and walk.
However while it seems that you can help muscle and perhaps mild tendon injuries with continued exercise, I would not have thought it the same with a bone fracture. A muscle is like a big rubber band which gets stiff so needs gentle warming and movement to get loose again, hence exercise may be good.
A bone is more like a piece of metal, it may bend a bit but once broken it needs to be properly welded back together/left to heal fully or will be a weak spot and may break again. So any exercise is potentially weakening the fracture and slowing healing. Of course, the bone has lots of tendons, muscles etc connected with it which will benefit from exercise but I think the bone has to be "fused" together properly first or will never get back to normal.
I was quite lucky in that my break has never really been painful, an ache at worst. The foot was put in a cast about 4 days after I broke it, this was left on for 6 weeks when I could walk on it short distances and had no real pain, taken off 2 weeks ago and I plan to rest for another 4 weeks to try and be on the safe side. I tried driving a manual car a week or so ago but felt a bit sore the next day so the Defender is back in the garage and I am sticking to the automatics.
It sounds like yours is worse than mine. I am no doctor(!) but I am not convinced that exercising is the way forward if it is that painful. It may be worth having it x-rayed again to confirm not still broken if you have not already done so?
When I fell down the pothole and broke my foot I assumed it was just a sprain and tried to run it off, covering 4 or 5 miles before I had to stop and walk.
However while it seems that you can help muscle and perhaps mild tendon injuries with continued exercise, I would not have thought it the same with a bone fracture. A muscle is like a big rubber band which gets stiff so needs gentle warming and movement to get loose again, hence exercise may be good.
A bone is more like a piece of metal, it may bend a bit but once broken it needs to be properly welded back together/left to heal fully or will be a weak spot and may break again. So any exercise is potentially weakening the fracture and slowing healing. Of course, the bone has lots of tendons, muscles etc connected with it which will benefit from exercise but I think the bone has to be "fused" together properly first or will never get back to normal.
I was quite lucky in that my break has never really been painful, an ache at worst. The foot was put in a cast about 4 days after I broke it, this was left on for 6 weeks when I could walk on it short distances and had no real pain, taken off 2 weeks ago and I plan to rest for another 4 weeks to try and be on the safe side. I tried driving a manual car a week or so ago but felt a bit sore the next day so the Defender is back in the garage and I am sticking to the automatics.
It sounds like yours is worse than mine. I am no doctor(!) but I am not convinced that exercising is the way forward if it is that painful. It may be worth having it x-rayed again to confirm not still broken if you have not already done so?
I think with fractures, the theory is once the union has occurred (mine has), start weight bearing as this facilitates the strengthening of the union. Obviously common sense should prevail and not do anything risky.
The pain I have is not just on the break itself, it's the soft tissue damage in the surrounding area. However, I have only been back on my feet a week so it's early days yet for me. There's a vast improvement for me in the one week so thus since I have been weight bearing, and I have every confident I will be running in the next 4-6 weeks. I'm doing stretching, dodgy walking/hobbling and light weight training.
I never realised I would miss jogging so much. Like you with the marathon, I have already had to cancel a few mud runs/obstacle courses and it's quite frustrating but to give myself a target, I have rearranged the next one in September!
The pain I have is not just on the break itself, it's the soft tissue damage in the surrounding area. However, I have only been back on my feet a week so it's early days yet for me. There's a vast improvement for me in the one week so thus since I have been weight bearing, and I have every confident I will be running in the next 4-6 weeks. I'm doing stretching, dodgy walking/hobbling and light weight training.
I never realised I would miss jogging so much. Like you with the marathon, I have already had to cancel a few mud runs/obstacle courses and it's quite frustrating but to give myself a target, I have rearranged the next one in September!
a quick update, 11 weeks now since the break, I have taken it easy for 5 weeks since the cast came off and just began cycling again about a week or so ago. It now feels like it is more or less better, the occasional ache but I am not usually conscious of it.
I have taken it very easy, no running yet and no long distance walks. Plan to start short runs again in a week to 10 days. Hopefully the break is pretty much healed now but no doubt al the other injuries, knees, calfs, hamstrings etc will reappear...
I have taken it very easy, no running yet and no long distance walks. Plan to start short runs again in a week to 10 days. Hopefully the break is pretty much healed now but no doubt al the other injuries, knees, calfs, hamstrings etc will reappear...
That's great news. Light is certainly at the end of the tunnel for both of us.
I have made remarkable progress in the past month, and am mobile now but still in a lot of pain due to soft tissue damage. Still lifting weights (upper body only), lots of walking, slowly introducing some jogging, and went out on the bike yesterday.
Need to remind myself not to overdo it though...
I have made remarkable progress in the past month, and am mobile now but still in a lot of pain due to soft tissue damage. Still lifting weights (upper body only), lots of walking, slowly introducing some jogging, and went out on the bike yesterday.
Need to remind myself not to overdo it though...
quick update in case anyone else is in the same boat. Been back into the running now for over 3 months, done 3 half marathons and a few 10k's, general level of fitness now back were it was (more or less) and foot is completely back to normal....
London Marathon 2015 is the next target, I deferred my place from this year so will be aiming to avoid potholes till then....!
London Marathon 2015 is the next target, I deferred my place from this year so will be aiming to avoid potholes till then....!
You need to be careful dude, I broke mine in Sept 2013, was in plaster and boot started running again about 3-4 months in, still had some pain but ignored it. Fast forward to June 2014 out for a run my foot only slightly rolls under me and bang I've broken the same foot and metatarsal again 
, in plaster for 8 weeks this time. I still can't exercise on it now 6 months in, I can walk but with a limp and I'm still in mild pain (some days good some days bad) . The fractured healed but ligements are the issue, docs put it down to not letting it heal enough first time round.
I'm now a fat porker with a limp ... the ladies love it
, in plaster for 8 weeks this time. I still can't exercise on it now 6 months in, I can walk but with a limp and I'm still in mild pain (some days good some days bad) . The fractured healed but ligements are the issue, docs put it down to not letting it heal enough first time round.I'm now a fat porker with a limp ... the ladies love it
I returned to walking unaided in June and pretty much began easing myself back into jogging straight away. Have done a few 10ks and a 12k obstacle course and am in fine fettle. However, as alluded to above, I do have some tenderness remaining and I am petrified the break can recur, as this is quite a common occurence.
But I cannot put my life on hold for something that hasn't occurred yet. But I'm sub-consciously waiting for the next break...which will not please my work!
But I cannot put my life on hold for something that hasn't occurred yet. But I'm sub-consciously waiting for the next break...which will not please my work!
MYOB said:
I returned to walking unaided in June and pretty much began easing myself back into jogging straight away. Have done a few 10ks and a 12k obstacle course and am in fine fettle. However, as alluded to above, I do have some tenderness remaining and I am petrified the break can recur, as this is quite a common occurence.
But I cannot put my life on hold for something that hasn't occurred yet. But I'm sub-consciously waiting for the next break...which will not please my work!
I ended spending the summer working from home in the end which was nice, but was gutted to be in plaster again, only so much you can take pulling yourself up the stair's on your hands and bum, trying to shower But I cannot put my life on hold for something that hasn't occurred yet. But I'm sub-consciously waiting for the next break...which will not please my work!
, doing a BBQ one legged, it was very frustrating, at one point after a few beers on a warm evening I ended up cutting off the plaster I was so desperate lol I had run alot after the first break and prior to the second break 30-40km a week. I was very supprised at how easily the second break happened in the end litteraly it was a very slight roll of my foot that did it. Understand you can't put your life on hold but I regret now not resting mine more as it has been suggested to me by the docs that the limp could be permanent as well as the pain, though pain is on and off some days good some days bad.
Edited by PostHeads123 on Friday 5th December 13:59
PostHeads123 said:
I ended spending the summer working from home in the end which was nice, but was gutted to be in plaster again, only so much you can take pulling yourself up the stair's on your hands and bum, trying to shower , doing a BBQ one legged, it was very frustrating, at one point after a few beers on a warm evening I ended up cutting off the plaster I was so desperate lol
I had run alot after the first break and prior to the second break 30-40km a week. I was very supprised at how easily the second break happened in the end litteraly it was a very slight roll of my foot that did it. Understand you can't put your life on hold but I regret now not resting mine more as it has been suggested to me by the docs that the limp could be permanent as well as the pain, though pain is on and off some days good some days bad.
The one thing I recall was the disgusting stench from the plaster, and the subsequent air walker boot! , doing a BBQ one legged, it was very frustrating, at one point after a few beers on a warm evening I ended up cutting off the plaster I was so desperate lol I had run alot after the first break and prior to the second break 30-40km a week. I was very supprised at how easily the second break happened in the end litteraly it was a very slight roll of my foot that did it. Understand you can't put your life on hold but I regret now not resting mine more as it has been suggested to me by the docs that the limp could be permanent as well as the pain, though pain is on and off some days good some days bad.
Edited by PostHeads123 on Friday 5th December 13:59
My initial break was caused simply by standing up and chatting to my son, I just turned on my foot and the bone snapped. So as far as I'm concerned, if it broke from doing nothing, there's no point in restraining from doing any exercises. The consultant did advise me to use it, jump, run and weights etc! Like you, the recovery took some time not due to the fracture itself but the soft tissue damage.
Sound like a bout of physic might benefit you to get the soft tissue sorted?
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