Fifth Metatarsal Break

I would never usually post on a website like this but I'm getting fed up now. I broke my fifth metatarsal 12 weeks ago by rolling on my ankle, pretty sure it was a non-Jones fracture and apparently it was 'minor'. I wore a moonboot for 4 and a half weeks (docs suggested 3-5) and was told to keep most weight off for the first week, and not much on the second. From what I remember, the pain subsided by week 3. After taking my moonboot off and walking in normal shoes it took a while to get the hang of walking again and if I walked for long distances it reeeally hurt. Went to a different a&e at 8 weeks to beg them for an x-ray. The x-ray showed it had started to heal but hadn't completely healed. The docs said something like it 'had healed on the outside but not on the inside'? And just to kind of try and keep off them. It got to about 9/10 weeks and it felt alot better so I went to the gym twice and did only small amounts of running on the treadmill (mostly walking), felt tender and could feel a kind of clicking sensation. My return to the gym was short lived as then I got labyrinthitis so was bedded for a while and then once my symptoms of that wore off I tried the gym again. Went twice last week and on the treadmill tried to not do too much, my foot felt tender or maybe I was just scared to damage it, but felt ok and I finally thought I could get back into my routine! Then last night I went and was on the treadmill for about 20 mins probably about only 30% of the time running though and my foot started to hurt, I stayed on for another 10 minutes. Once I got off I realised I was limping and walked home with pain when I put weight on my foot while walking. Thought I'd sleep it off but was the same today, so went to a&e and got another x-ray (after basically begging again) they said no new injury and the doc said it had basically healed and that I'd just over done it and to not run etc for another 4 weeks!!! Arggghhhhh so frustrating! It's 12 weeks on now, I'm scared that even after another 4, the same happens again! I want to get back to the gym, sick of sitting on my ass, anyone got any advice pleeeeease? Contemplating getting one of those bone growth stimulaters I'm that sick of this!
Thanks

Hi - I did my 5th met last February. Airboot for 4 weeks and then being really careful for another 4 weeks and I started using it again properly. Started out doing just 200m, then a little bit more etc. It was sore on and off but I took things very slowly. No hills, no uneven surfaces etc. By late May I could run fine and it just ached a bit but didn't hurt.

Then in June, I did it again. Nothing to do with the original injury, just a freak trip over a stone that resulted in exactly the same break. One in a million chance.

Followed the same process, airboot, walking, very very short runs etc. By October I was running with the ache and since Christmas I've been running without any discomfort at all, either during or afterwards. In fact, I'd forgotten I did it until I saw your post.

The mets get poor blood flow so heal slowly, and my view was that using the foot must help the blood flow therefore I made sure that I kept using it regularly but treated it gently. Also, keep the foot warm (socks in bed) as this improves blood flow. Gently massaging the area to get the blood moving doesn't seem to have done any harm.

Hopefully you're on the mend. I'd rather have a broken met than Achilles tendonitis, that's for sure.

Thanks, it's been 13 and a half weeks now, the pain I had from the gym went away within a couple of days I'd say and it feels ok now.  I might just see if I can try the gym again tomorrow and take it slow, but I thought I was taking it slow!  But if it hurts again I'll wait for another couple of weeks

Thanks for all your help,

Simone

That sounds so similar to me. I self-diagnosed a fifth met fracture, which I eventually got looked at in a&e. they said the X-ray wasn't very clear but the fractures can be very fine.
I did it at the end of November and since new year it has plateaued at the 'nearly better' stage, where I am desperate to get back out but am too scared. It gets really achey if I walk too far or stand for too long.
I also have the clicky thing...do you know what it is? It has been bothering me and I wondered if something had healed wonkily!!!

I even think I may have started walking on it weird from fear of hurting it again and this is why it's hurting! Went on the treadmill last night and couldn't even run for a minute.. that's nearly 14 weeks on now. The clicky thing is a wee bit less now but maybe that's because I have had to stop running altogether, it's so frustrating!