Fractured foot help.

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

I've fractured a bone in my foot and nothing can really be done bar taking some pain killers and rest.

I've tried searching the internet for alternative ways to speed up recovery as I do Thai boxing but havent found anything yet. Does anyone know of anything which may help?

[Cigaro]

Vitamin D and calcium are both important. Therefore, lots of sunlight and milk.

edit:

[G]

Make sure you don't take anti-interrogatories like ibuprofen or diclofenic etc.

Try and eat well generally, maybe supplement with vitamin pills.
I'm not sure how, but I suspect you're going to be wanting to move it about where possible - this will get blood to it, which is what will deliver cells that will heal it. However obviously you don't want to be aggravating the bits that need healing.

[LeeR]

Whilst I ordinarily would take G's advice on board I have to say that from personal experience I found ibuprofen an effective pain killer when I broke my foot because it's very good for soft tissue pain and inflammation.

The best advice I can give you is follow the medical advice to the letter.

Keep you foot elevated, preferably above the level of your heart especially when you sleep.

Use a cold compress of bags of peas or beans (I used soya) wrapped in a tea-towel every hour for about 10-15mins initially then as and when necessary.

Don't neglect your diet eat healthily and drink plenty of fluids, your body will be working hard to repair itself. On this note if you do smoke then stop, restricting blood flow to the small capillaries will slow recovery, and funnily enough smoking does this.

A fractured bone is above all things a soft tissue injury and if you broke it in an impact then the soft tissue will be a longer repair than the bones.

If you have been advised to not bear a load on your foot then heed it, until the advice is to start using it again.

The bone should heal in 6-8 weeks, and then you need to do some exercises to build up strength and loosen up your tendons once again.

I found Deep Freeze Cold Spray also an effective painkiller, in the later stages of recovery when my cast was off and I'd weaned myself off the drugs.

All the best for a steady recovery.
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[Irezumi aka Reuben]

Thanks for the help.

I eat very well, I like to think anyway.

I've just had to reduce my training for the forseeable future, not bothering with taking any pain killers, too much hassle.

[G]

[sickpup]

[G]

I didn't have specific web-resource-links, but just did a basic search on google; the second result was this:
https://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/316/7141/1390

[nrml76]

The claim that Non steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAID's) impair bone healing is not widely accepted by the medical community. If you surveyed the practice of all orthopaedic units across the country, you will find that it is a very very tiny minority of surgeons who think that they are a bad idea. They do have lots of side effects, but are a useful pain killer when taken over short periods.

Like many other pieces of research, it is one of those things that doesn't translate directly from lab studies to clinical experience. NSAID's have been used for decades now for pain relief following both elective and emergency orthopaedic procedures in millions of people without any significant delays in healing.

I can quote you lots papers about drugs that have been shown to have adverse effects in lab studies but no effects in clinical practice. Similarly there are lots of papers which show that drugs very beneficial in lab studies, are not very effective, and sometimes even harmful in clinical practice.

The problem with medical research is that because of the pressure to publish, a lot of studies are set up with a view to getting a result. If the study is not published, it is viewed by both the academics and sponsors as wasted time and money.

Before accepting the results of a study, the methodology and the methods of analysis have to be looked at in detail. Some people just accept results without questioning their validity, while others wait for the weight of their peers opinions to swing one way or the other and a few actually analyse the study in detail for themselves. Unfortunately, not many people in the medical profession do this. Things have changed a bit recently, with doctors getting better at it (mostly younger ones).

[lozzypop1]

[G]

I had a further look through the google results after I posted and found some studies based on real-world cases, rather than lab-mice.

I appreciate 'scientific' studies often tend to be rather foolishly flawed in their methods and their intentions - I have read enough reports in New Scientist etc where it's obvious the 'researchers' have had a very single-track mind.

From the information I've got, I'd definitely be avoiding them myself.

Brian Simpsone gave me an example of a famous surgeon he was talking to. The famous surgeon was saying he didn't see a problem with them, until it was pointed out to him that for another operation he actually prescribed these drugs with the implicit intention of preventing bone growth (around an implant of some sort I think).

[sickpup]

Lets assume for a moment the studies you have shown are correct. Whats the loss in bone regeneration caused by lack of blood flow from swelling when people don't take these drugs?

[sickpup]

[G]

Oops, that was a typo, my mistake. It should read 'physio', as you noticed.

As to your original post; I don't know about how issues with swelling would specifically effect it, not having done this research myself.
However, I'd suggest you have a look on google again; you should find some results taken from 'real world' cases which would suggest that it is a detrimental thing. Of course we can't know the exact situation in every case they have tested, but can presume there were similar issues in many of these.
So to answer your question; presuming these studies are correct, any detrimental effect is definitely out-weighed by the positive effect of not taking the drugs.

I've certainly heard a lot more against taking it than for it from medical professionals - with those that have been for it appearing not to have looked into the issues generally and those against it having done their research.

On this basis, I would suggest avoiding these drugs. If you talk to a physio they should be able to provide exercises to help alleviate swelling without causing further injury which is of course going to be beneficial regardless of whether or not it will air recovery.

[Visitor Q]

Learn to kick using your shin bones rather then foot?
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[sickpup]

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

[G]

[Visitor Q]

[YUN]

Lorenzo has 2 fractured ankles and still came 2nd. He is seen sucking on Chupa Chups - maybe that'll help
Get well soon
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[Suitor_Stu]

[nrml76]

Whilst Cochrane is an excellent source of evidence, they also make errors, some of them very high profile ones. A prime example is the human albumin vs crystalloid report they came out with; which has been conclusively proven to be absolute rubbish. Every paper needs to be judged on an individual basis, not on the authors / groups behind it or the journal it was published in.
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