Just my luck…(health update)
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Yeah, I work out more than most people - at any age - and yet...I know I have to be much more careful. A good friend who works out 2-3 hours a day - missed a step and broke both legs when he stumbled down a single step.
@kluurs said in Just my luck…(health update):
missed a step and broke both legs when he stumbled down a single step.
OMG that's horrible!!!
I was also diagnosed with osteopenia, and I couldn't help but wonder if that contributed to this toe break. Maybe not, it was a pretty hard impact.
@AndyD OMG are you ok? Did this just happen? It sounds incredibly painful!
@Big_Al how are you doing these days?
@AdagioM yikes! Well at least it's just a
distantFacebook memory! -
Shan't be playing the Minute Waltz today.
And have 5 carpets (bedrooms & landing) being 'delivered to the front door' at midday.
@AndyD ooohhh noooooo! I’m so sorry! I bet that’s so painful!
No broken bones?
Have you about … I can’t remember what’s it’s called, hot/cold therapy? You set up two tubs, one with hot water (not scalding hot of course) and one with cold water (maybe two ice cubes but not ice water). Then you go back and forth between the two tubs. There’s advice about how to do it (time length, which to end on).
I actually did that when I fractured my middle finger years ago (while bowling, that was the last time I ever bowled again!) I was living in Japan and got the advice from the doctor. It’s supposed to really promote healing.
I’m thinking I’ll try it with my toe, but more like after maybe a week has passed. Anyway, maybe you could read about that and see if it would help you.
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Yep, I’m googling around, some places do recommend contrast bathing for feet as well.
It’s interesting to me that the doctor I saw at the walk-in clinic didn’t mention it, or really give me hardly any information about after-care. After they got the x-ray results, he was sort of blasé, like “there’s really nothing we can do for a broken toe.”
But everything I’ve read about lower extremities, and everything I’ve talked about with my physical therapist, says how important circulation is for healing. Why wouldn’t you want people to take a proactive approach if there’s something that can make a difference over the course of their injury recovery?
My physical therapist also says I’m one of the most proactive patients she’s ever had, so maybe it’s me that’s out of sync??
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Thank you so much for the link, no broken bones just significant and deep swollen bruising, the nail may come off. Treatment looks excellent and easy, and finally a proper use for our twin butler sink.
Nothing as serious as your mishap. Times and sleep are the great healers.Carpets proved a relatively easy two man shoulder lift avoiding fingers, even weighing 67kg. Couldn't believe I was so careless the day before needing full health.
Ventosa viri restabit
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Omg, I am so sorry to hear this. Nothing more frustrating than our body not working the way it should, and not being able to do the things we are used to doing! So hard when having to rest one thing makes other things act up. I feel your pain. Hope you can get back to some sort of normal soon!
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Yeah, I work out more than most people - at any age - and yet...I know I have to be much more careful. A good friend who works out 2-3 hours a day - missed a step and broke both legs when he stumbled down a single step.
@kluurs said in Just my luck…(health update):
Yeah, I work out more than most people - at any age - and yet...I know I have to be much more careful. A good friend who works out 2-3 hours a day - missed a step and broke both legs when he stumbled down a single step.
I work out a fair bit, and hike a lot when I have the chance. Over the summer I was strolling down from Mary's Rock in the Shenandoah when I slightly hyperextended my right knee. Bam, pain. I hobbled down the rest of the way and was very sore and careful but it went away over the course of a week ... until, bam, a slight rotation and I felt it go again.
After about five episodes I sought some help from a sports med doc. It's the same knee that has a broken or minimally functioning ACL ... an injury from almost 20 years ago. She felt around, pushed, prodded, extended, shifted, ... no real pain. But with images she said I probably had a meniscus tear. So, I leave her office and later in the day, bam, it goes again! Karma.I do not have a big problem, but just the idea that at any moment the damn thing can go again is a real problem. What do I do if I'm four miles into an eight mile hike in the wilderness? Well, I'll try some PT to strengthen the area, and she put me in a Donjoy soft brace to help out. Getting old is not for the faint of heart.
Crazy economist who likes to write about higher education.
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OUCH!!!
When I was 17 a horse stepped on the toes of one foot. Two toes were broken, a third was injured.
The track coach said, "Tighten your shoe laces and get out there."
I think my feet now fit what my mother used to say, "I think your feet are round on the bottom." -
Thank you so much for the link, no broken bones just significant and deep swollen bruising, the nail may come off. Treatment looks excellent and easy, and finally a proper use for our twin butler sink.
Nothing as serious as your mishap. Times and sleep are the great healers.Carpets proved a relatively easy two man shoulder lift avoiding fingers, even weighing 67kg. Couldn't believe I was so careless the day before needing full health.
@AndyD said in Just my luck…(health update):
Thank you so much for the link, no broken bones just significant and deep swollen bruising, the nail may come off. Treatment looks excellent and easy, and finally a proper use for our twin butler sink.
good luck!!
Also, that carpet looks heavy!!
Re contrast bathing, this morning (after I posted), I took a hot shower, and closed the drain so that the water stayed in the tub and got up to my ankles. So my foot got nice and warm.
Then while I was finishing my morning routine (brushing teeth, fixing hair and make up), I got a tub and filled it with cold water and slowly added ice cubes. Instead of standing at the sink/mirror, I brought a chair into the bathroom and sat for that time, so a little more than 10 minutes.
Not exactly the contrast bathing pattern of back and forth, but it did seem to help, in terms of pain reduction! Tonight I'll try the more "official" back and forth contrast bathing.
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@ShiroKuro
I tried it and it works
relieves the swollen feeling, though the discomfort comes back.
Shall be doing it again this evening.They do say ending a hot shower with a very brief cold rinse is good for you but I'm not a fan.
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Wow, contrast bathing for the win! I've been doing this twice a day for almost a week now. It definitely helps with pain reduction, but also I think it's really helping the bruising clear out.
I had an appt with my physical therapist today (for my other foot) so I keep that, but she looked at my bad foot (and I showed a photo from a week ago) and she was very impressed with the bruise fading.
She also agreed that it's a real shame that the doctor I saw didn't suggest it.
She explain that hands and feet don't really have muscles the way other parts of the body do. It's the muscles that help blood flow, so hands and feet need some extra help to improve circulation, which is what the contrast bathing does. She said she thinks it's much more impactful than icing alone.
I have a follow up with a physician next week for my broken toe, so hopefully they will take another x-ray. I'm keen to be cleared to do more exercise, like the exercise bike.
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@AndyD its called contrast bathing!
https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/patient-information/contrast-bathing-for-the-hand-and-wrist/
I’m gonna google and see if anyone talks about it for toes!
@ShiroKuro said in Just my luck…(health update):
@AndyD its called contrast bathing!
https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/patient-information/contrast-bathing-for-the-hand-and-wrist/
I’m gonna google and see if anyone talks about it for toes!
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Sorry late to this thread.
Nothing worse than foot pain. I broke a bone in my foot in early 24 and got so sick of the constant pain.
Hope it resolves well and soon.
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I had another visit at the podiatrist’s yesterday. I had another x-ray of my foot and he confirmed that my toe is still broken
but he did say the bone looks good and there isn’t any new dislocation — which is good bc the walk-in doc told me to do buddying taping and put a carbon insert in my shoe (to prevent the foot from bending). But I did neither of those things (bc I couldn’t get a shoe in with the buddy tape and the taping itself hurt, and I didn’t want to have a carbon insert to throw off my balance and mess up my heel/instep). So I was relieved to learn that my strategy of just shuffling around instead of walking was the right thing to do.The doc also said that there’s some soft tissue damage (which the walk-in doc didn’t discuss). He gave me some info about care and what I can and can’t do (exercise bike is ok as long as it doesn’t hurt, yay!) and I’m supposed to go back in 7 weeks.
Oh and he said that contrast bathing doesn’t help healing, although it’s good for pain relief and relieving swelling. Then he talked about how it does help with circulation. I didn’t push back and ask more but it seems to me that helping circulation would help with healing, because everything I’ve read and heard from several doctors (including this one, the foot surgeon, and my PTist) says that one of the main reasons feet problems heal so slowly is because of poor circulation. My PTist said there’s not really research on things like contrast bathing because there’s no money in it (i.e., this kind of research wouldn’t result in new pharmaceutical or surgical treatment).
Anyway, I did the contrast bathing twice a day for about two weeks. I’m not doing it now, but if I find myself on my feet a lot and my pain increases, maybe I’ll add it in again. But I still have a hard time believing that it doesn’t help just beyond pain management. The bruising I had was so bad, and it’s almost totally resolved, which is a sign of good circulation.
Anyway, that’s my update, sorry for rambling!
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@kluurs said in Just my luck…(health update):
Yeah, I work out more than most people - at any age - and yet...I know I have to be much more careful. A good friend who works out 2-3 hours a day - missed a step and broke both legs when he stumbled down a single step.
I work out a fair bit, and hike a lot when I have the chance. Over the summer I was strolling down from Mary's Rock in the Shenandoah when I slightly hyperextended my right knee. Bam, pain. I hobbled down the rest of the way and was very sore and careful but it went away over the course of a week ... until, bam, a slight rotation and I felt it go again.
After about five episodes I sought some help from a sports med doc. It's the same knee that has a broken or minimally functioning ACL ... an injury from almost 20 years ago. She felt around, pushed, prodded, extended, shifted, ... no real pain. But with images she said I probably had a meniscus tear. So, I leave her office and later in the day, bam, it goes again! Karma.I do not have a big problem, but just the idea that at any moment the damn thing can go again is a real problem. What do I do if I'm four miles into an eight mile hike in the wilderness? Well, I'll try some PT to strengthen the area, and she put me in a Donjoy soft brace to help out. Getting old is not for the faint of heart.
@Piano-Dad said in Just my luck…(health update):
I'll try some PT to strengthen the area
P*D, somehow I missed this comment when you originally posted it (apologies!)
How is your knee these days? I have osteoarthritis in my knees, so my experience might not be relevant for you if your problems are due to a tear, but… if you can go to PT, I highly recommend it. My PTist gave me a series of exercises to focus on building strength in the legs around the knee and it has really been beneficial for me. You could also google around and find exercises to do on your own, but a few session with a good PTist can make a huge difference.
(Since I started PT in January of this year, I have been telling everyone I know to go to PT for practically every ailment!
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I had another visit at the podiatrist’s yesterday. I had another x-ray of my foot and he confirmed that my toe is still broken
but he did say the bone looks good and there isn’t any new dislocation — which is good bc the walk-in doc told me to do buddying taping and put a carbon insert in my shoe (to prevent the foot from bending). But I did neither of those things (bc I couldn’t get a shoe in with the buddy tape and the taping itself hurt, and I didn’t want to have a carbon insert to throw off my balance and mess up my heel/instep). So I was relieved to learn that my strategy of just shuffling around instead of walking was the right thing to do.The doc also said that there’s some soft tissue damage (which the walk-in doc didn’t discuss). He gave me some info about care and what I can and can’t do (exercise bike is ok as long as it doesn’t hurt, yay!) and I’m supposed to go back in 7 weeks.
Oh and he said that contrast bathing doesn’t help healing, although it’s good for pain relief and relieving swelling. Then he talked about how it does help with circulation. I didn’t push back and ask more but it seems to me that helping circulation would help with healing, because everything I’ve read and heard from several doctors (including this one, the foot surgeon, and my PTist) says that one of the main reasons feet problems heal so slowly is because of poor circulation. My PTist said there’s not really research on things like contrast bathing because there’s no money in it (i.e., this kind of research wouldn’t result in new pharmaceutical or surgical treatment).
Anyway, I did the contrast bathing twice a day for about two weeks. I’m not doing it now, but if I find myself on my feet a lot and my pain increases, maybe I’ll add it in again. But I still have a hard time believing that it doesn’t help just beyond pain management. The bruising I had was so bad, and it’s almost totally resolved, which is a sign of good circulation.
Anyway, that’s my update, sorry for rambling!
@ShiroKuro said in Just my luck…(health update):
My PTist said there’s not really research on things like contrast bathing because there’s no money in it (i.e., this kind of research wouldn’t result in new pharmaceutical or surgical treatment).
That’s what the NIH is for.
