My Forum

I fractured my tib and fib 6 months ago and have been back running for about 6 weeks now. Start slowly. Check with physio but really if the fractures healed properly (ie straight) then by now, 12 months on, the bones should be healed and strong enough to run. I found the worst part was stiffness of the ankle after being in plaster as well as loss of strength in the calf muscle. So plenty of strengthening exercises for the calf, like heel lifts, will help. Also important to make sure the gluts are strong on the broken leg side.

I find my leg ahces a bit when I first start out on a run but as it warms up with running it improves. I still have some pain when I put pressure on the break area, I don't know when/if that will go away but it doesn't seem to be worsened by running. 

 Seek some professional advice (I am not a physio) and I hope your friend can get back to running soon. I am hoping that I don't encounter any problems down the road, so far so good, and if it continues I'll be up for a marathon again in April

Hi Nick and Stephanie,

I am also in a similar situation as both of you. On 1st May I was in a car accident and fractured my left tibia and fibula. Fortunately clean, undisplaced fractures, no surgery required. I had 6 weeks in cast, 4 weeks in an air cast boot and am now back to walking without crutches but still with a slight limp. I am SO SO frustrated not to be able to run. I have lost almost all my fitness because I couldn't really do anything for 8 weeks, not even swim and now I am slowly trying to get some fitness back with swimming. It really sucks as in March I had completed, and loved, my first off road "ultra" and it now seems an insurmountable task to get back to that level of fitness. 

I have yet to have any physio, NHS is a bit slow, but have been discharged from fracture clinic at least, it's healing well. But I am terrified that I will never run pain free again. I can still feel the damaged area when I walk, I really haven't even tried to run yet as I can't walking without limping. I am paranoid about causing more permament damage or a stress fracture. Any advice from fellow injured runners much appreciated, mainly on the type of build up to getting back into it once I'm given the all clear to run. I know it will have to be very slow and frustrating. I know I have lost calf muscle strength and flexibility in my ankle. I only hope that the fitness I had prior to the accident will work in my favour as will my 7 years of running history.

Good luck to both of you with your recoveries.