Rehab of a broken foot

[jwood521]

I noticed through searches that there isn't much discussion here on rehabbing broken bones. I like your general philosophy on broken bones of forcing it to heal through natural motion and exercise that pumps fresh blood though the area, but how about parts that are in a cast and difficult to move?

I broke my first metatarsal at the distal end, right by the MT joint (apparently railroad ties are much stronger than feet.) I'm in a cast up to my knee. I tried going through the motion of an air squat, but the inability to bend my ankle keeps me from coming straight down, and I end up off to the side, almost like a groin stretch. Balancing on the rounded bottom of the cast is also pretty difficult.

Is there anything that I can be doing to speed the healing process and try to prevent losing too much lower body strength?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Since I don't know the particulars of the fracture, I'd just say that you need to move around your hips and knees as much as possible. One possible way might be to squat outside on a surface that can stabilize the rounded bottom of the cast, like a yard or some sand.

[London Lion]

I am also currently rehabbing from a fractured metatarsal, 5th one. Ive had it in a cast, but it didnt heal so I had to have an operation, where they put a big old screw in the foot. I see the doc in two weeks, by then i wont have walked for 3 months.

Hope yours gets better mate.

Mark - Any problems you know of doing SS after such as injury? - Im sure the doctor will tell me to avoid squats at all costs as per their "expert" opinion.

Id rather here yours though??

Cheers,

London Lion

[Mark Rippetoe]

Maybe it would have healed better out of the cast. You already know what I think about rehab.

[London Lion]

I guess your thoughts on rehab must be in one of the two books, I'll keep reading.

Thanks for the input.

London Lion

[Mark Rippetoe]

Search function on this board works too.

[Gwyn Brookes]

I am also currently rehabbing from a fractured metatarsal, 5th one. Ive had it in a cast, but it didnt heal so I had to have an operation, where they put a big old screw in the foot. I see the doc in two weeks, by then i wont have walked for 3 months.

Hope yours gets better mate.

Mark - Any problems you know of doing SS after such as injury? - Im sure the doctor will tell me to avoid squats at all costs as per their "expert" opinion.

Id rather here yours though??

Cheers,

London Lion

Hey all, I thought I'd share my own experience with a fractured 5th metatarsal, FWIW.

This happened during my career as a modern ballet dancer at around age 26 or so.

1. The fracture. Stage was freshly mopped but not dried. You can fill in the rest.

2. The cast. Cut off with a hacksaw three weeks into the healing process.

3. The re-break. Went back to a performing schedule without proper re-training. Broke again via a landing from jump with turned ankle.

4. The treatment. Another nine months of a removable cast, with crutches and a bone stimulator to wear at night. No healing. Prognosis: get a pin.

5. The healing. Got rid of the removable cast. A podiatrist saw me walking around sans cast and asked "does it hurt still?" Answer "no." "Well, while you are trying to scrape up $$ for a surgery, why don't you go back to class?" You can imagine the muscle deterioration by this time, it was incredible.

Went back to class, did barre only for a month.

Got an x-ray. Completely healed.

I am not recommending cutting off a new cast !!!! hehe.

I guess I'm just saying - maybe surgery isn't always necessary with these tiny fractures.

-Gwynn who is NOT a doctor

[Mark Rippetoe]

And I'll bet Gwynne wasn't drinking a GOMAD.

[Tuesday]

And I'll bet Gwynne wasn't drinking a GOMAD.

She was (is?) a ballet dancer, and cyclists have nothing on ballet dancers when it comes to paranoia about weight gain. From what I've seen and heard of the pros, it's good that she was eating enough to heal at all. It's a rough life and many of the girls don't even start menstruating until their late teens or early twenties.

[Gwyn Brookes]

She was (is?) a ballet dancer, and cyclists have nothing on ballet dancers when it comes to paranoia about weight gain. From what I've seen and heard of the pros, it's good that she was eating enough to heal at all. It's a rough life and many of the girls don't even start menstruating until their late teens or early twenties.

Haha. What he said. I was at about 11% bodyfat at the time.