It's Official

[risingfire]

Today I went to the urgent care center and found out that I have broken my third metatarsal! I cannot train for 3-6 weeks! I am sooo bummed. I just had a great testing and now I am here. I have NEVER had a broken bone in my life! My foot has been hurting for a few days now and it’s because of the fracture. Any suggestions on healing methods? I am doing everything the doc says but I am open to supplements or anything like that. I have putting ice on it and keeping it elevated, that’s what the doc said to do for 72 hours. I have no swelling and no bruising, just pain. I am so so so bummed!
.....

 

[d1jinx]

It is your first, but probably not your last.

It will take some time to stop hurting. Just rest and take it easy, take some time before you start hitting with it again. when you get to the point where you can train, pay attention to your limits, if it gets sore or hurts, back off. Basically baby it and ease it back into the game.... if it dont heal right, you will have a bunch more problems with longer time off.

 

[ATC]

Today I went to the urgent care center and found out that I have broken my third metatarsal! I cannot train for 3-6 weeks! I am sooo bummed. I just had a great testing and now I am here. I have NEVER had a broken bone in my life! My foot has been hurting for a few days now and it’s because of the fracture. Any suggestions on healing methods? I am doing everything the doc says but I am open to supplements or anything like that. I have putting ice on it and keeping it elevated, that’s what the doc said to do for 72 hours. I have no swelling and no bruising, just pain. I am so so so bummed!
.....

There is no real way to heal any faster than your body is programed to. You can only postpone healing by re-injuring it before it is healed.

I have broken my foot a couple of times. Each time I only took 1 week off then taped up real good and went back to training. I did not hit anything but I did my air kicking and forms at a slower and less impacting way. I did no jumping nor any sparring, but I still trained. But that was me. I think I even tried to train with the boot on at first but then opted for the taping. At the end of each training I put my foot right in an ice bucket. 5 min in the ice, 10 min out of the ice. Did this for 3 rotations. Then after the ice back in the boot.

Movement is also good for injuries as it keeps range of motion. I would take a week off and keep the foot in a boot. Get some crutches if possible and keep the weight off. After one week bone is already healing and pretty solid but just barely. After the second week you should be able to walk and even do some light stuff but no banging, jumping or high impact stuff.

You really don't need to take 3-6 weeks off totally. But I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV.

 

[d1jinx]

. But I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV.

But I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.....

 

[ATC]

I also broke my arm and had the doc take the cast off after 2 weeks. I practiced my forms and such but no actual hitting.

Went back to the docs after 4 weeks total and he was impressed with my range of motion. He said that because I only kept the cast in for 2 weeks and moved my arm and wrist I did not develop any stiffness in my arm or wrist and kept full range of motion.

Most people have stiff painful wrists and elbows after keeping a cast on for the entire time. Then it is 2 more weeks of therapy just to get movement back. Plus my arm did not shrivel up. Stayed the same size. I did a demo 5 weeks after breaking my arm and broke a stack of 6 bricks. Stupid me I know. Hurt like hell. I thought I re-broke my arm. Went back to the doc and there was no break. He said that the bone was just still bruised from the break that the bruised bone took longer to heal than the break.

The doc told me that a broken bone is already glued back together after 5 days or so. They only cast to prevent you from banging and moving it during that time. He said that most times they only splint adult.

My daughter broke her hand 3 weeks before a major tournament and opted for no cast also. She kept training the entire time and even got kick in the hand a few times during. But at the end of the time she was fine and took home Bronze at the US Open.

 

[ATC]

But I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.....

Ha ha ha...Yeah I did that.

 

[risingfire]

I am heading out to the "orthopeed" as they call him this morning. I hope I get some decent news, for all I know he may call for surgery. I didn't notice before but it is knoted up a bit on top compared to my other foot. I can't believe this happened. I am hoping for the best, this happened last Saturday btw. I got to take my x-rays home yesterday on CD and for the life of me I cannot see a break! LOL I guess the holiday inn express didn't help me, and stepping in for Dr. House even though I have a crutch and hydrocodone didn't help either

 

[Dirty Dog]

Post your xrays.

Bones take 6-8 weeks to heal, but that does not mean you cannot train for that time. Generally speaking, if you can weight bear, you can train. With the caveat that it be low- to no-impact training. Kicking air with a metatarsal fracture is one thing. Kicking a heavy bag is entirely different. Your foot will guide you to a great extent, by how much it hurts.

In my experience, narcotics are not all that useful. They make you stoned. They make you goofy. They make you not care that you hurt. But people expect them. Anti-inflammitories are more useful, in my opinion.

 

[Manny]

Wellcome to the house of pain my friend, like you I am out of dojang because a hurt foot, take things easy (it's something I try to remind me every day) and heal.

Manny

 

[Xue Sheng]

Any suggestions on healing methods?

Well yes... oh wait....

I am doing everything the doc says

That is what I was going to suggest.

 

[Balrog]

Today I went to the urgent care center and found out that I have broken my third metatarsal! I cannot train for 3-6 weeks! I am sooo bummed. I just had a great testing and now I am here. I have NEVER had a broken bone in my life! My foot has been hurting for a few days now and it’s because of the fracture. Any suggestions on healing methods? I am doing everything the doc says but I am open to supplements or anything like that. I have putting ice on it and keeping it elevated, that’s what the doc said to do for 72 hours. I have no swelling and no bruising, just pain. I am so so so bummed!
.....

Supplements aren't going to help that much. What will be successful is following your doctor's orders to the letter and NOT rushing back into practice. If needed, take an extra week off. You have the rest of your life to do Taekwondo; one week off ain't gonna kill you.

 

[risingfire]

Good evening everyone,
While staying off my feet so to speak I having been trying to run through all this in my head. I broke my foot during a board break. It was a front kick through three boards. This is a break of the third metatarsal. What do you think was lacking in my techninque that caused me to break my foot? I don't want to do it again obviously so any suggestions. I have an excellent front kick so this is really bothering me.

 

[Drac]

If your kick is incorrect that is something your teacher must correct, as he is there and can see it.

Something to give ya a laugh: I broke my 5th metatarsal once chasing some jackwagon outta the nightclub where I was a bouncer, and the next day I was scheduled to take my school bus drivers exam..I simply jammed my foot in a combat boot and laced it reak tight..Got through the exam with no problem, and there was no real bad pain or swelling until I removed the boot...

 

[ATC]

Good evening everyone,
While staying off my feet so to speak I having been trying to run through all this in my head. I broke my foot during a board break. It was a front kick through three boards. This is a break of the third metatarsal. What do you think was lacking in my techninque that caused me to break my foot? I don't want to do it again obviously so any suggestions. I have an excellent front kick so this is really bothering me.

Without seeing the break hard to tell. If you had the toes pulled back and hit with the ball of foot only then nothing. But if you hit with your instep or even one toe not pulled back the there you have it.

Front kick is not that technical as there is no real resting foot pivot nor is there any hip turn or angling. You mainly only have to worry about the knee bend and the foot positioning.

For all we know you could have broken it on the recoil hitting your toe on the board on the way back.

Oh well, happy healing.

 

[risingfire]

sabumnim says the kick was what he expected, fine. I noticed a little pain after the break that I couldn't "walk off" Two other bb have watched the tape with me and the kick was executed correctly. So, any other ideas why the 3rd would break? It just seems weird!

 

[Dirty Dog]

There's really no way to tell. It's entirely possible that you just had a weak spot in the bone, or a prior injury. But something to consider.
On a front snap kick, you're told to strike with the ball of the foot. However, when I check my own kicks, I find that the contact point is not even the entire ball. It's the 1st and 2nd metatarsals. And in this position, the metatarsals are straight (and strong). If I turn my foot slightly so that the impact is on the other metatarsals, the bones no longer line up. And hence, are not as strong. What you decribe is the foot-equivelent of a boxers fracture. And injury almost exclusivly found in people who make contact with the wrong part of the hand.
I've never seen you kick, but I doubt that it's something that would be visibly noticable.

 

[risingfire]

You bring up a good point, the kick was fast and all three broke with ease. I have watched it everyway I know how and really all I can see is that I had correct placement, I looked to be on target, and that recoil was perfect/best I could hope for

SO I AM STUMPED. I just don't want this to happen again. Honestly, I wish I didn't have to break any boards every again. I am trying not to get a phobia but it is begining to form in my mind. I am being kept away from the sport/activity I love and I hate this. My foot still aches today, almost a week later...well actually exactly a week later. Well complaining never got anyone anywhere, so I am stop. I just want to be back in the dojang marching away..etc.

 

[chrispillertkd]

If the kick was performed technically correct and the boards broke with no problem and yet your foot still broke I'd hazard to say that you need to engage in more dallyon practice (that is, forging). You might want to invest in a dallyon joo, or forging post (basically, a makiwara). They are not only for hand techniques but also for kicking. Don't concentrate on building up calouses, you should be getting yourself used to the impact and strengthening the attacking tool you'll be using. You can also do this type of thing on a heavy bag, of course.

If you have any of his books, Gen. Choi spends a considerable amount of time demonstrating various forging techniques and accoutraments to use. He considers dallyon one of the five aspects of the Cycle of Taekwon-Do (the Soonhwan Do, consisting of fundamental exercises, patterns, sparring, ho sin sul and dallyon). Some people concentrate on only a couple aspects of this and then run into problems in other areas. Best to try to spend time doing each in order to become a well rounded martial artist.

Pax,

Chris

 

[risingfire]

Okay, since I cannot train due to the foot I have been bummed. I was sitting here at home working on some things on the PC and kept looking at my better halves huge exercise ball. I asked her, "Honey, I gotta work out, I think I am melting away here." "What's this ball thing?" She rolled it over and showed me the best pushups I have EVER DONE. The stability ball kicks butt! My core hurt as did my arms, and i never had to use my feet, (good since one is broken), if you haven't used the stability ball I give it a thumbs up!! When I can go back to class I will be able to rip a "BOB" in half lol When I grapple I will throw other students accross the dojang now. lol

 

[ATC]

Just because your foot is hurt does not mean you can't train. But you are starting to find this out on your own. Happy training.