Fractured Fibula, Healing But Pain Won't Go Away

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Fractured Fibula, Healing But Pain Won't Go Away

by Sharon
(Massachusetts)

On 7/28 I fractured my fibula.

On 7/30 I was put in an air cast by a nurse practioner and the orthopedist office.

I kept the cast on except for showering for 6 weeks. On 9/10 the cast was removed, the x rays showed healing and I told the nurse practitioner that I was having considerable pain in my ankle.

I went to physical therapy for 3 weeks. The physical therapist said that I was making excellent progress. I was still having increased pain especially at the end of the day.

I saw the nurse practitioner at the orthopedist on 10/6. By now I couldn't sleep at night because of the pain in my ankle.

The nurse practitioner after consulting the doctor gave me a very painful cortisone shot and some pain medication and said it should be resolved in 2 or 3 days.

I found your website and started icing 4 or 5 times and day and ice water dipping 20-40 times a day for the past 5 days. My ankle is marginally better but at days end sore and interrupting sleep.

What now?

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Joshua Answers:

Hi Sharon. Thanks for asking. I like 'tough' scenario's to help figure out.

So....what the nurse practitioner really meant to say was that she 'hoped' that it would be resolved in 2-3 days.

Corticosteroid Injections don't fix anything. At best, they get rid of the pain for a while.

So I have some questions:

1. How exactly did you break the fibula?

2. How bad was the fracture?

3. How active are you on your feet historically?

4. Any history of pain/problem in the ankles, like Tendonitis?

5. Is the pain in your ankle now, at the site of the fracture or somewhere else?

6. Please describe the pain in as great detail as possible. How, when, where, what helps, what makes worse, etc.

Some thoughts I will expand on or not after I get your answers:

1. If you are Vit D and Magnesium deficient (very very likely) then the bone may not be healing as well as it looks like it is. Low magnesium levels equal less calcium utilization, for instance.

2. Depending on the impact and where your pain is, you may have jammed and stuck your joint and an expert chiropractor or osteopath can make it right.

3. KEEP ICING! There is a HUGE and stubborn Process of Inflammation that kicks in with fractures and breaks.

I'm curious to see how you answer the above questions.

Joshua Tucker, B.A., C.M.T.
The Tendonitis Expert
www.TendonitisExpert.com

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Fractured Fibula, Healing But Pain Won't Go Away

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Oct 12, 2009
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Fractured Fibula, Peroneal Tendonitis, Healing But Pain Won't Go Away
by: Sharon

Thanks for your interest.

I fractured my fibula on the golf course walking from cart path to grass on uneven terrain, turned the outside of my ankle.

Before the fracture I played golf 4 times a week, walking not riding. I took power yoga classes twice week.

I went to the gym and used the elliptical trainer and do weight training 3 times a week. I'm 62, walk a lot and am fit. My bone density tests are good.

The fracture was distal and non displaced. It was not considered a problem break.

When I went back to the nurse practitioner at the orthopedist after consulting with the doctor he thought my increased pain was because I had peroneal tendonitis.

That's when I got the cortisone shot. I have flat feet and they tend to overpronate. I wear orthotics but have never had problems with tendonitis before.

My physical therapist suggested that when I fractured the fibula I also sprained my ankle and this tendonitis is the result.

I've been in pain from the time of the fracture.

The pain is strong right around my ankle bone and the cavity above the bone not the site of the fracture. It is an aching pain. There is also a pulling sensation that goes up my calf. It is not too bad just stiff in the morning and gets worse as the day wears on and wakes me up at night.

I've been icing 4-5 times a day and ice dipping 20-40 times a day. I've been keeping my leg up and elevated most of the day. It does seem better after icing or dipping. I take calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. Should I get an MRI?

Oct 13, 2009
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PART 3 - Fractured Fibula, Peroneal Tendonitis, Healing But Pain Won't Go Away
by: The Tendonitis Expert

Joshua Comments:

Hi Sharon.

I don't know whether to be more impressed that you're that active at 62 (compared to other 60 year olds, not that 62 is 'old') or that you ice dip 40 times.

Rock on!

So.

1. Should you get an MRI? Only if it's paid for and you're curious about what it shows. Functionally, it's unlikely to give you any information that is going to make a difference.

That probably doesn't get across what I want it to, but...what you are going to do to get better isn't likely to change with whatever you happen to see on the MRI.

Having said that, they're interesting. It's all about learning more about your body. So go for it if you want to.

2. Am I correct that the fracture itself doesn't hurt, it's more up the leg and overall ache?

How much do you think that overall ache is from the fracture, as opposed to the tendon strain.

3. Out of curiousity, how much magnesium and Vit D do you take? (ever had your Vit D levels tested?)

If you're taking mag, that makes your calcium more uptakeable, so I'm not worried about the fracture healing.

4. If you feel pulling up your calf, that's a good indication that something like the Peroneus is involved. Maybe there's Tendonitis, maybe the muscle is just still overprotective and too tight from the ankle turn.

5. I bet you did sprain or strain your tendon.

Sprain is ligament, strain is tendon and/or muscle.

And, possibly you pulled a little bit of tendon connection away from the bone. That wouldn't show up on xray, unless it pulled up a chunk of bone too, which happens. Ouch.

Suggestions:

My first and main suggestion is to fine tune your icing by getting an ice cube, for instance, and massaging anything that hurts. This includes tracing that pulling up the calf, finding that specific muscle, digging the belly with ice, and follow it down to the tendon and attachment.

Ice dipping, keep that going. The more blood to the area and waste product and pain enhancing chemical out, the faster everything can heal.

That was mostly stream of consciousness there.

If it didn't answer your question(s) specifically....More questions, more answers.

Oct 14, 2009
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Fractured Fibula, Healing But Pain Won't Go Away
by: Sharon

I take 400 mg of Magnesium and 1000 of Vitamin D daily.

The pain is definitely right around the outer (fibula) bone. My primary care doc had blood tests done 3 months ago. I was found to be low in Vitamin D.

My physical therapist has been doing electronic stimulation. He says it brings blood to the area.

I'm feeling very discouraged and sort of depressed at not being able to exercise. The physical therapist gave me some exercises to do.

So I've been doing those, icing and ice dipping. I know that everyone heals at a different rate but how long before this pain goes away. It is at the same level and intensity for the past week.

Sharon

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Joshua Comments:

Hey Sharon.

An infants dose of Vit D is 800 iu's. If 1k/day is all you've been doing, I guarantee your levels are still low.

This can have something to do with your pain, actually.

Keep with the Mag, that's good.

Stim is ok/good, exercise is good. Keep it moving.

I don't remember if you said where you live, but it may be worth it to find a really good massage therapist that knows what they're doing.

If you can relax the muscles and cuah of the lower leg, expecially that one that you feel the pull up your calf, that can go a LONG way.

You can massage yourself too. While watching tv, just feel around, explore, stretch, push, dig, pester, etc. The more tender a structure is, the more love it needs. Love being a technical term for attention and touch and work.

It sucks the pain is lingering, I know. Some things really do take time. But they take LESS time if you treat them right, with icing, and massage, and the right nutrition.

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Fractured Fibula, Healing But Pain Won't Go Away

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Fractured Fibula, Healing But Pain Won't Go Away