Welp, my foot has continued to hurt and I finally went to a doctor. I knew what googling my symptoms told me, but I decided to speak with an expert anyway. He agreed with Google: I have developed plantar fasciitis in my formerly broken foot.
It turns out, not using your foot at all for like 5+ weeks can actually kind of mess it up. Who knew?
The signs were pretty obvious: Pain in my heel right near where it meets the arch. It’s tender if I press on that spot with my thumb. Walking barefoot hurts the most. Pain is worst first thing in the morning. Telltale plantar fasciitis.
But I just wanted a doctor to tell me it wasn’t somehow related to my fifth metatarsal break. It’s not. In fact, the x-ray showed my bone has almost entirely fused together except for this little chunk at the top of my break near the outside of the foot. The break always looked like it was sticking out at the top, like the two pieces weren’t perfectly aligned, and my doctor said eventually that will either fill in or smooth round. (Again, didn’t take a photo, sorry.)
I had already bought some Doctor Scholl’s shoe inserts for plantar fasciitis. They are just like heel cushions and they take away the pain when I walk and help when I do the elliptical machine. (Oh, I bought an elliptical machine. I gained like 20 pounds from being sedentary and ordering takeout all the time while my foot was broken, so I’m working hard to get back into shape.) The elliptical is fine for about 30 minutes, and then my right heel starts hurting and the shoe inserts can’t do anything for it.
The doctor did give me some exercises, but suggested it should go away on its own within the next year. Yikes, that is a long time. He said if it hurts real bad, then there are things he can do — injections, expensive shoe inserts, etc. — but honestly I can live with this pain, even though I wish I didn’t have it. I can’t run, but I’m not ready to start running anyway.
I’m trying to just walk normal, not develop a limp and stay active. Generally, I feel close to having this whole ordeal behind me, but yep, after 20 weeks my foot still does not feel like it did before it broke — and that is sure a bummer.
Broken Fifth Metatarsal 
Hi brokenjules, oh my goodness, you poor thing! To think you were concentrating on getting the bone healed in your foot and now this! It sounds painful and must be a real nuisance for you. I do hope in time the condition improves and you return to optimum health. How is your uncle doing?
I also still have discomfort and it’s not as it was before the break, but right now Im just putting up with it. If it continues into March I will go back to see the doctor. I have a persistent ache (which sometimes throbs) on the top of my foot (before the toes). I don’t have any pain in my heel. Like you, I’m trying to walk normally, but sometimes it feels so uncomfortable I find myself walking a bit different. Also I can’t walk too fast (if I’m out with my daughters I can struggle to keep up with them if they race on ahead). Psychologically I’m just trying to ignore it and carry on as normally as my foot will allow. But it is annoying sometimes and I am still in trainers. I don’t feel confident to wear my normal shoes yet as I’m scared of damaging my foot, especially as I still have some discomfort.
It seems to me that for some people, this is an injury that doesn’t have a quick fix. The consultant did say it can take up to a year to feel anything like normal again. I have spoken to friends who have said that they still get occasional surprising pain from time to time from ‘old’ breaks in bones they had from years ago. It’s not all the time, but it can and does happen unfortunately. However, for others, they may heal completely and never really experience any further pain or discomfort.
The only advice I can give to you is what I give myself: listen to your body. If it hurts, rest a bit. Take it easy, don’t rush things (hard I know if you are anything like me – impatient and active). Don’t over think things or look too far ahead or you may become despondent. Be gentle with yourself. I keep telling myself it will get better in time and I will get into my shoes and walk properly again. It’s just going to take longer than I originally thought.
I hope you are managing ok generally (did you dispose of your car?). I’m hoping to try and take the dog out more and extend (gradually as pain allows) the time walking to help build up stamina. I will keep in touch and let you know how things go, especially if I end up back at the doctors! Take care 😊
LikeLike
Hi brokenjules,
Been following your blog. I recently fractured my 5th metatarsal (looks exactly likes yours), with a nondisplaced fracure on my fourth. Reading from your posts, it sounds like you live in the Bay Area (either S.F or Oakland?). I live in downtown Oakland and have been having some of the same struggles–old buildings with stairs, people bumping into me everywhere, postmates and delivery 24/7…in my 5th week, in a cast. Tell me it gets better!
LikeLike
Sorry I never saw this, had a bunch of comments I neglected. I live on the west coast – didn’t want to get too specific but Pacific Northwest. I’ll say it was the hardest few weeks I’ve had in a while to not be able to walk or be independent, but everything is normal for me now. I do feel some very light pain at the break spot still if I bend my toe too much or even when I walk barefoot, but it hasn’t limited me at all. The easiest part was knowing it was temporary, and life is very much back to normal for me. Hope you’re doing well!
LikeLike
I just wanted to thank you for writing this blog about your experience. I broke my 5th metatarsal 4 weeks ago – Jones Fracture – and my brain is fried from reading everything I could find on it – surgery or no surgery; orthopedist or podiatrist; crutches vs. scooter – rent or buy; can I take my aircast off to drive; what to eat; how to entertain myself… you know the list. Your well written blog has helped me more than anything else I’ve read. I actually feel like I can live through this seemingly endless process now. For now I’m opting for the conservative non-surgical healing route…I still don’t know if it’s the right choice. It feels right to me, I just wish someone would tell me it’s the best choice!
I’m hopeful that your plantar fasciitis has healed since you stopped writing in the blog. Hang in there. Maybe it will help you in some small way to know how much your blog helped me!
Thanks again.
LikeLike
Hey there, missed a bunch of comments I guess. Yep, the Dr Scholls inserts worked and the plantar’s fascitis went away! I won’t say I never feel any pain in my right foot anymore, but it’s not limiting me in anyway. When I’m barefoot I can especially feel where the break was, even after all this time, but things are mostly back to normal for me. I think no surgery was fine for me, although mine wasn’t a Jones fracture. It’s a lot of stress at the time, but you manage to get through and then things just kind of go back to normal. Anyway, I hope your experience is going well!
LikeLike
Hi brokenjules, How are you doing? It has just occurred to me that it is nearly approaching eight months since breaking the fifth metatarsal. Have you still got plantar fasciitis or has it improved?
My foot is virtually completely healed now. I would say I noticed that any kind of pain or strain was absent around beginning of April. Sadly my mum died around this time and I was so focused on that that I completely forgot about my foot. I just woke up one day and realised that it hadn’t hurt for a while and it seems to have been ok ever since. I am now wearing normal shoes again and even managed to wear some pretty sandals this week which was an absolute joy.
Despite now being pain free, I will never forget the trauma brought on by what would appear to some people to be a small injury. Small it may be, but the consequences are horrible. If I’m ever out and about and see someone on crutches or a wheelchair I look at them now in a completely different way to before the accident. I have so much more empathy and I really do feel for them. It can be a very lonely experience and you can feel vulnerable needing the help from others which can be made even more difficult if you live alone.
I really hope your foot is much better now and that you are enjoying life as normal as you can. Thank you so much for sharing your blog; it has been a real comfort to have someone to share the experience with, someone who has been through it and knows how it feels.
Take care and I hope all is well with you and your loved ones.
Best wishes,
Tracey
LikeLike
Hey there, yeah I kind of neglected this blog as things got better. The Dr Scholls inserts worked and it got rid of my plantars fasciitis within a couple months I’d say. Really, everything has been basically normal. I sometimes feel pain at the location of the break still if I bend my toe a lot or walk barefoot, but it’s very light pain that doesn’t limit me from anything. I won’t say the plantars fasciitis never creeps in if I walk a lot or something, but it’s not severe and it doesn’t last. Sorry to hear about your mom, that’s very sad and I hope you’re coping through it alright. The foot issues couldn’t have helped but I am glad to hear you are doing so much better. I agree – when I see someone using crutches or a wheelchair, I feel much differently now. Especially since I felt so embarrassed to go in public with them, I have to respect those who need them to live their lives. I might give my blog an update for the sake of those who are discovering it!
LikeLike