One step forward two steps back

OMG! I'm getting really despondent reading all these posts. Having just done mine 4 days ago, I've been hopeful it will have healed in 4 weeks when I'm traveling overseas, Does anyone have snuck fast recovery stories to give me hope?

I can only say that I understand your frustration but try to remember the long game is for you to get back to being able, 1, Walk then 2, light jogging & gym style workouts 3, back to hopefully full fitness again.

We all have our own bodies that are unique to us, therefore we all repair at different speeds. The timeline you were given is only an educated guess! 

I wish you well in your recovery.

Hi Adrienne, I have an Avulsion of the 5th Metatarsal.  It's a fracture at the base of the 5th.  I'm 4.5 weeks post injury and have been walking in my trainers since week 3. I have been told I can do everything at week six.

I think a lot of people think after six to eight weeks everything goes back to normal. Wrong in my case, it's really the beginning of rehab.  You should be able to swim with this injury.  I have also been riding a stationary bike every other day.  I started on 10 minutes and every other day add two minutes more.  I am now cycling 30 minutes in the sitting position. I find this a really good cardio exercise and as it's non weight bearing I'm getting a great workout without soreness to the foot.

I find as the day goes on the foot does get a little more sore but a rest always remedies this.  I still have bruising over my foot and some strained tendons over my ankle and across my toes. My calf muscle is a little stiff which makes walking down stairs correctly difficult because I cannot stretch it sufficiently, it feels tight but I'm having physio and working on strengthening all the muscles in my foot and calf. I do lunges, heel raises and bent knee heel raises, gently rocking from flat feet onto my tip toes and back down. I use the kitchen counter top for support. I'm also practising balancing on the fractured foot on on leg on tip toes. 

Did your physio, go through exercises with you?

What type of fracture do you have, Avulsion, Jones, other?

Adrienne, I feel for you, it's hard getting back to 'normal'

I also broke the 5th Metatarsal on September the 8th.  I had a walking boot for three weeks then graduated into my trainers. My fracture is 5.5 weeks now and it can get sore but mainly in the tendons/muscles of the foot, which have not been used in the normal way for 5 weeks, also my calf muscle can get stiff and I have to stretch and massage it.  Getting full usage back does take work and its not without discomfort.  Use the 2 out of 10 pain scale when walking or exercising. Dull pain is fine and expected, sharp pain is not.

In the two weeks I've been out of my boot, I've graduated to a full hours spinning class after starting at 10 minutes and adding two extra minutes every other day.  I've been swimming 3x a week and today I'm going to take my road bike out for a half hour to see how it goes. I'm also weight training at the gym.  

You just have to follow the pain scale bearing 2 out of 10 dull pain it permited, anything higher is not as anything that causes sharp pain.  Feel your way through it.

A physio also really gives you confidence that all is well and you can discuss pain with  him/her and they can alay your fear that what your experiencing is normal.

It will get better I promise.