Fractured my foot, when do I know it's ok to run again

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littlemoron
littlemoron Posts: 36 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello MFP people! So... I fractured my foot (specifically, a metatarsal bone) on August 25. About two weeks and an x-ray later, my doctor said it would be about six weeks until my foot was ok, provided I wear boots that keep my foot pretty flat and immobile. As of today, it will have been six weeks since the fracture. So I'm going to go out for a run this weekend.

If any of you have gone through this, can you let me know what I should be looking out for? I obviously don't want to re-fracture my foot, but I'm getting insanely tired of not running. What sensations mean BAD STOP RUNNING, and what sensations are ok to ignore?

Thanks! :-)

lm
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Replies

  • MzBriz
    MzBriz Posts: 20 Member
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    I fractured my 5th metatarsal the end of June and I still have not been able to run! I'm not sure if I'm able to but I still have pain in my foot just from walking so I'm afraid to try running... I would also like to know when you are ok to run after a fracture! My orthopedist just told me to go by how it feels but it's hard to tell what that means... I have been doing a lot of low impact exercise, but I am also itching to run again...
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    As a general rule, after I break something (or have something surgically repaired), I resume activities after my doctor clears me. Call me crazy, but since he's the one that performed the procedure, examined the labs, and is responsible for my care, I think his advice trumps that of internet randoms.

    I'm being a little bit snarky here (just a wee bit), but seriously, there's no setback as bad as re-injuring something by returning too soon. You have a doc, so ask your doc. Especially when it comes to foot injuries.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    As a general rule, after I break something (or have something surgically repaired), I resume activities after my doctor clears me. Call me crazy, but since he's the one that performed the procedure, examined the labs, and is responsible for my care, I think his advice trumps that of internet randoms.


    Exactly.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,080 Member
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    I'm going Rebel here. The last two bones I broke (one of them a metatarsal) I didn't even go to the doctor. Mostly because they charge $1,000 and give you a cast..and then tell you to have surgery and rehab. .meh, I can do the homemade cast, I've never agreed to ortho surgery, the rehab is instinctual, yadda yadda.


    Told you I was going Rebel. :tongue:

    But the metatarsal took a really long time to be able to do high impact - I think it took mine about four months, but I'm sure there are different levels of fracture. You can try it, if it hurts, stop.

    That will be $250, please.
  • WillLift4Tats
    WillLift4Tats Posts: 1,699 Member
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    What sensations mean BAD STOP RUNNING, and what sensations are ok to ignore?


    Pain? Pain probably means stop.
  • tpt1950
    tpt1950 Posts: 292 Member
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    You really should get the advice from a doctor when you should resume running.
  • timboom1
    timboom1 Posts: 762 Member
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    As a general rule, after I break something (or have something surgically repaired), I resume activities after my doctor clears me. Call me crazy, but since he's the one that performed the procedure, examined the labs, and is responsible for my care, I think his advice trumps that of internet randoms.


    Exactly.

    +1000, have your doc clear it first, then start slow and do not try to pick up where you left off...you will have lost fitness in 6 weeks and you don't want to replace 1 injury with another.
  • Yukongil
    Yukongil Posts: 166 Member
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    I don't stop until I see bone poking through, anything less and you might as well not even waste your time exercising if you are going to quite so soon. Bro up, lift that bone back into place with some titan power squats and then drink an entire container of protein powder in one sitting, you'll be fine.
  • timboom1
    timboom1 Posts: 762 Member
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    What sensations mean BAD STOP RUNNING, and what sensations are ok to ignore?


    Pain? Pain probably means stop.

    ^^^In general this should apply all the time. Pain is your bodies way of saying STOP.

    Specific to the OP, this is another question for the Doc, pain in this case, in the same area, probably means "too late, should have stopped a few minutes ago", but ask the doc, they will probably have some input on what types of discomfort you may have and what is ok and what is not.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    When I had a stress fracture in my fibula last year, the doctor only said to come back if I had a problem and to take 6 weeks off from running.

    When I started again, I didn't jump right back in where I was before. I started by doing the Couch to 5k plan over again. Just as a way to force myself to take it easy. I also made a point to stick to softer surfaces, like a track or grass or treadmill, for the first few weeks.
  • dreilingda
    dreilingda Posts: 122 Member
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    There is a lot of advice here about waiting until your doctor clears you. It's sound enough advice but be aware that the doctor is just making an educated guess based on what he knows. You know your body better than he does so just use your common sense and start very very slowly. I recently had meniscus surgery on my left knee (10% of medial removed, 5% of lateral) and I was running again after 5 weeks (biking after 1 week). Just listen to what your body is telling you. If you're in any pain, slow down or rest some more. If it gets worse, head back to the Dr.
  • WillLift4Tats
    WillLift4Tats Posts: 1,699 Member
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    What sensations mean BAD STOP RUNNING, and what sensations are ok to ignore?


    Pain? Pain probably means stop.

    ^^^In general this should apply all the time. Pain is your bodies way of saying STOP.

    Specific to the OP, this is another question for the Doc, pain in this case, in the same area, probably means "too late, should have stopped a few minutes ago", but ask the doc, they will probably have some input on what types of discomfort you may have and what is ok and what is not.

    Hmmm my sarcasm transmitter doesn't seem to be working...dang it
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    I had a metatarsal stress fracture last year. With the Dr's approval I started runnning again after about 4 1/2 weeks. It still hurt a lot. The Dr. told me that the pain was normal and would go away in time. The pain faded gradually but it was about 12 weeks before I ran pain free.

    I had to start with short runs at a slower pace than I had been running before the break. It took around 10 weeks to build back to where I had been before the broken foot.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    What sensations mean BAD STOP RUNNING, and what sensations are ok to ignore?


    Pain? Pain probably means stop.

    ^^^In general this should apply all the time. Pain is your bodies way of saying STOP.

    Specific to the OP, this is another question for the Doc, pain in this case, in the same area, probably means "too late, should have stopped a few minutes ago", but ask the doc, they will probably have some input on what types of discomfort you may have and what is ok and what is not.

    Hmmm my sarcasm transmitter doesn't seem to be working...dang it

    you may want to see the doc about getting that fixed. if you don't have coverage i'll be happy to look at it for you
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    There is a lot of advice here about waiting until your doctor clears you. It's sound enough advice but be aware that the doctor is just making an educated guess based on what he knows.

    Well, one would hope that four years of medical school, residency training, including the ability to listen to a patient, the power to order X-rays and MRIs, not to mention seeing thousands of patients would make him or her more knowledgeable than a layperson.

    I have on occasion told friends to seek out doctors who were more on their wave length but no one has ever questioned the idea that a doctor would know more.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    I'm going Rebel here. The last two bones I broke (one of them a metatarsal) I didn't even go to the doctor. Mostly because they charge $1,000 and give you a cast..and then tell you to have surgery and rehab. .meh, I can do the homemade cast, I've never agreed to ortho surgery, the rehab is instinctual, yadda yadda.


    Told you I was going Rebel. :tongue:

    But the metatarsal took a really long time to be able to do high impact - I think it took mine about four months, but I'm sure there are different levels of fracture. You can try it, if it hurts, stop.

    That will be $250, please.

    If someone doesn't have insurance, I well understand the need to conduct triage in deciding whether to visit a doctor. That's really scary because you don't know if you're risking permanent physical damage to avoid financial damage.


    But anyone who has insurance and a suspected fracture who doesn't use his or his insurance should be seeing another kind of doctor.
  • matchbox_girl
    matchbox_girl Posts: 535 Member
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    I fractured my foot back in March....I didn't wear the boot and walked around on it like I shouldn't have.

    To this day, if I workout on it, it cramps up and gets sore. It will never be back to normal.

    Running on it could very well do the same thing to you. Just be cautious.
  • RenewedRunner
    RenewedRunner Posts: 423 Member
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    I fractured my foot in 3 places in June. I wore a boot for 4 weeks and then took it off (because I also tore open the top part of my foot and got a really wicked infection from the sore being in a boot). I didnt run again until August, and then it would hurt every now and then. Especially running hills. I had to be super dedicated to stretching. i also did the stick on the scar itself, which hurt like $#I#O#, but I found it really helped.

    That being said, I did it on my own. My husband is military and the getting back in to see the doctor to get a referral BACK to the foot doc was taking an act of Congress. Go SLOOOOOOOW, dont be ambitious. Stretch. And stay off hills for a while. I would probably do a run walk combo for no more than 20 minutes and build very slowly from there.
  • krystal_black
    krystal_black Posts: 86
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    SO I broke and fractured my foot multiple times BECAUSE I DID NOT WAIT UNTIL THE DOCTOR CLEARED ME TO EXERCISE AGAIN. Evry time the healing took longer and longer. listen to the dr.
  • Colstriper
    Colstriper Posts: 71 Member
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    I broke my foot too, I hobbled on it for about 2 months. I run now and my foot sometimes hurts but overall I think running on it is helping the muscles around my foot to heal by working them. Get some good running shoes though, it will make a big difference.

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