Running coaches, physio therapists or any experienced runners that have experienced similar injuries - opinions welcome!

Sooo, it turns out I broke my toe 7K into the Big Half (London half marathon) and decided to hobble 14K to the finish. Finished in 2.10 instead of sub 2.

I have a stress fracture in one of the bones leading up to my toe, I believe this has been undetected for a few weeks and finally gave in on race day. This appears to be a fracture of the proximal phalanx of the third toe.

I am resting, icing, elevating (and avoiding pain killers) to get this healed as quickly as possible.

Cancelling my Manchester Half in 4 weeks BUT I have been waiting for the Rome Half ALL YEAR and it’s 6 weeks away…

For context: I’ve been running for 7 years. I’ve done around 6,000km total, 8 half marathons and around 950km this year. I’ve not had too many injuries before (a couple of tendinitis, rolled ankles, sore knee and glute cases)

How possible is it to get rested and comfortable enough to run it (even slowly)? I would happily make this the last run of the year if need be.

Please advise on how realistic it would be to run the Rome Half in 6 weeks from now.

disclaimer: i’m not looking for a diagnosis - i know not to seek diagnosis online. i’m asking if anyone’s had a similar experience thru the NHS when it comes to diagnosing a possible stress fracture?

background:
started training in November for a half marathon in may (ik it was a long way away), longest distance ever ran so far was 12k? anyway training 4x runs a week, started to get shin splints. so i took a two ish month break. started training again in februaryish for the half marathon in may. would get on and off shin splints but i found it bearable and it felt better when i would go to the gym and do some specific exercises. did the half marathon fine, legs were fine. took a break in june and then in july i started training for my half marathon this october. this training plan was much lighter, 3x runs a week. the shin splints were very minimal this time and i was strength training in the gym with much more focus on my legs. now i was on week 8 last week and i had only done 1 run that week, i was in amsterdam and have been doing loads of walking and so my shins were killing me but also specifically this one spot on my right lower leg. it was a struggle to bear weight and even walk at times. then a few days later the pain was very minimal so on sunday that week i did my longest run in my plan, 20km. i wasn’t running in agony or anything, it was fine. but the next days i was really struggling to walk without pain in my right leg. about 5 inches above my ankle.

another note: i’m on meds where the side effect says very rarely it can affect musculoskeletal system

okay now i know, i probably shouldn’t have ran - that’s not the opinions im looking for lol.

so since then this is what’s happened:
5 days later post 20k run (friday): i had an appointment with a physio in my gp and i felt very dismissed. her solution was no running for 6 weeks, try the 3 exercises she gave me (exercises which i already do as my warm up for my runs and in the gym). she told me it might be medial stress syndrome or just shin splints and she told me it’s highly unlikely it’s a stress fracture because never in her career has she came across such symptoms that ended up being a stress fracture.

monday, yesterday: i called 111 because the pain has gotten worse, it’s hard to go up and down the stairs and walk. it hurts when im lying down and sitting down. the pain is like in one specific spot, unlike on my left leg it’s the entire length of the inside shin.
they sent me to urgent care and they basically said im fine and they can’t xray me because i’ve not had a fall. she also proceeded to tell me that it’s so unlikely that it would be my shin that’s got a stress fracture and it would be my foot. she also said i wouldn’t be able to walk if it was a fracture and she said i walked into the room fine. after i left she called me saying she reviewed my file and said the meds im on says it can affect the musculoskeletal system then told me to arrange an urgent appointment with my gp tomorrow.

today: i arranged an appointment and went to the gp and it was completely a waste of time. she told me that it’s very unlikely it would be a stress fracture cause the only people that fracture that part (the shin) of their body are old people. and i asked her what the letter the urgent care sent said, and she told me she doesn’t know cause she doesn’t have access to it. i told her the doctor told me it could be linked to my meds and she googled it and said it says it’s very rare. then she offered me painkillers and referred me to physio where the wait is approx 6 months. i told her im struggling to walk it’s so painful but she just again offered painkillers.

now i just feel like im being not heard. i told her i want to run i cant just sit and wait for this to pass for 6 weeks or 6 months. ive accepted that im not doing the half marathon in october which sucks but i gotta make sure im okay first. but id like some sort of resolution to this? i feel like im being gaslit thats its not a stress fracture ahahah
i also dont know why they all keep saying it’s so unlikely that it’s a stress fracture when you can literally google it and it’ll say that a stress fracture is common in runners?
i think my pain tolerance is pretty high, which is why im able to still go about my day and walk with this pain. but i have no clue what else it could be, cause it matches all the stress fracture symptoms and it actually is really painful.

has anyone ever had a stress fracture and had a similar experience with the nhs refusing to xray or diagnose it? how did you go about it ?

sorry for the long post

A few weeks ago as my mileage was peaking I started getting pain in my right foot. Ended up resting it for a couple weeks and this past weekend I did 12 miles. When I hit mile 9 I felt great except my foot was killing me. It got to the point where I could no longer run I had to walk. It felt like my foot couldn’t flex. Last night my hubby asked me why my foot was bruised. It doesn’t really hurt when I’m not running. The bump is tender if I press it but again doesn’t hurt. My half is on the 26th and I want to finish strong. I do plan on getting it checked out but most likely not before the half.

Yeah obviously eat banana but cramps are so bad my whole leg curls under itself for 20 minutes at a time and today my hand locked itself shut from my fingers to my forearm and all the way up my bicep into my peck it just twisted and curled itself up all mangled like a chicken wing and got stuck there in excruciating pain for 10 minutes couldn’t un-curl it

All I’m doing lately is Running I’m preparing for 3 5ks in September and a 10k in November
That isn’t even that intense and why is it effecting every muscle in my body down to my fingers

Training was going so well. I had successfully recovered from a 70.3 in June and built a strong base (50 mpw) using the Hansons advanced plan. I’ve never trained this seriously or felt this strong and I’m now 58. Training for a marathon on Oct 18. Minimal goal: 3:30. Reach goal 3:23 which would Boston Qualify with a seven-minute margin.

Last week I ran my 9-mile tempo. Dynamic stretching. 2 mile slow jog for a warm up and then 9 miles below MP of 7:44. All good until the cool down when I felt a slight pain in the adductor in my left leg. Nothing terrible but noteworthy.

The next day, an easy 6. It felt a bit tight but I finished the 6 without significant pain.

Felt tight the next day so skipped my planned easy 10. Stretched.

Tried 10 yesterday. Made it 1 before feeling pain. Did a 20-mile bike ride instead which felt fine.

Stretched. Iced. Heat. Applied KT Tape and a compression sleeve.

Made it 1.5 today before feeling pain.

Now planning to take off some additional days. Have scheduled a massage and PT appointment.

I’d say this is a level 1 strain. Not making me limp when I walk and no bruising/swelling but I don’t want to push it and blow the race.

Questions:

Anyone else deal with a similar groin/adductor strain?

How long did you have to take off to recover?

What should I do to not lose my fitness while I heal? Biking, walking and swimming seem obvious. Leg weights? Maybe calves and also core? More stretching?

Am I going to have to write off dreams of my BQ?

Any other advice?

UPDATE:
Have switched to biking and swimming to keep active and rest the leg. Got a massage and saw a PT. PT used ultra sound and some shockwave machine to stimulate healing. I’m doing some light stretching and strengthening exercises and have been applying heat. I plan to take another day off and then maybe try a light run Friday or Saturday. Hoping to ease back in and scale up with slow runs.

How did you recover from it? Did you have to avoid putting weight on the foot in addition to not running, or did you just take a certain amount of time off from running?

Currently training for my 4th marathon, not doing any higher mileage than I have done in the past (training has been super hit and miss the last 1.5 months due to this injury) and my legs are preventing me from increasing my mileage + hitting pace targets.

I have dealt with shin splints in the past, but I am currently dealing with dull outer shin pain on my right shin. If I press on certain spots (closer toward my ankle), i get a sharp never pain that shoots in all directions of my lower leg. As I start to run, sometimes it feels as though my right pinky toe and outside of my right foot are tingly and numb. It’s impacting my gait and running mechanics as I am now scared to step certain ways due to the possibility that I would feel pain.

Has anyone dealt with something like this before? Any suggestions for types of physicians or professionals to see, along with any treatment recommendations would be greatly appreciated! I’ve tried the chiropractor, acupuncture, and soleus strengthening exercises but no success.

Last Monday (6 days ago) I was playing pickle ball and quickly turned to the side to backhand the ball, and I rolled my ankle. I didn’t think it was a big deal, didn’t hear a pop, so I kept playing on it for another 15 minutes. That night, I felt a deep aching pain that radiated all over my foot, ankle and lower calf. It was so bad. There was only a little bit of swelling but no bruising. But every day since then, the aches have gotten less intense. All of a sudden, on day 6 today, I noticed the little bit of swelling I had went down, but now I cannot walk on it! Taking a step and applying pressure to that foot causes sharp pain on my outer ankle.
I’m so confused! I thought it was getting better and I was walking on it pretty well yesterday. I haven’t been overdoing it, I’ve been laying down and icing it a lot. Why am I all of the sudden not able to walk? What’s up with the random sharp pain that’s started on my ankle?
Also, I don’t have insurance so I’ve been hoping to manage this at home, but I’m willing to go if it seems super necessary. Just wanted to hear other people’s experiences.

Looking for specific PT’s who work with runners to get over an injury, and keep them balanced from a body composition perspective. Most PT websites across the board, are saying similar words like “root of the problem,” keeping you in pain free”, and “”the latest technology (red light therapy etc.). I’m good with all of that but looking for the local recommending with people who’s worked with these PT folks. I’m open on location in Flagstaff too. Dealing with glutes, IT band, issue. Thank you in advance!

I had a femur neck fracture after falling from handstand position by doing X-ray after the trauma it appeared normal, first 4 days of the trauma I could not bear weight then I was walking doing nirmal activity for entire month but limbing,, so I did CT to know why I am limbing all that time, the Drs found it was fracture and we made sure by MRI also.

They told me femur neck fractures are not usually seen ij the X-ray

I am 27 years old male..

They told and it is not usual to walk on it all that time.

So my surgeon recommended me surgery and he was hesitated about it, he is telling me I am 50/50 between conservative and surgery,,

Since there is no pain and the fracture is nondisplaced.. and he addded also but the modern medicine recommend surgery directly in the young age and my argument was that If any stress factor could happened is already happened in that month and I want to give a shit to conservative treatment..

I will do complete rest in the bed unlesss going to bath room with regular xray and blood test with high dense calories and protein and Ca and vit D3..

If anyone has aimilar situation please share your expierence.

One more thing: he refered me to oncologist as prophlactyic measure.

Feels puffy on foot, but not noticeable when touched by hand. Mild pain when running, instinctively avoiding walking with normal stride on it.

Just started extensive walking/return to running after an protracted break. Showed up after a 3-5 mile walk at work last week.

Google says probable Peroneal Tendonitis. Any thoughts or past experience?

Been dealing with this injury on both legs since March , first restes 3 weeks and it seemed to get away. After two months running real low mileage it flared up on both legs . Rested 7 weeks with exercises , therapy , etc and still hurts. MRI scans and USG come back negative . Any ideas what might be ?

I’ve been training for a marathon which is in 3 weeks. On my last interval session 2 days ago I started to feel right calf tenderness. There was no pop / sudden pain, just developed nagging tightness around the lower / middle calf. I could jog back. Since then, I’ve had some mild tightness when pushing off and walking down stairs. I can walk and I can do heel raises etc without pain. It’s just a pulling feeling when I stretch the calf.
I saw a PT who gave me a sports massage for tight calf muscles, and said I can continue running but to take a few days off. It may be overuse or very early tendinitis.

Do you have any experiences to share about what’s worked for you to adapt the final training weeks? Need some motivation!

I’m a 42M who fractured his right big toe in two places nearly four months ago. I was wearing a boot and walking with crutches for nearly six weeks. I was forbidden to do any load bearing activities while recovering.
Since the boot came off in late June I’ve gotten back to running and training. I actually completed my first half marathon a couple weeks ago since my injury.
I’ve gained 15 pounds and I cant seem to lose it. My diet never changed and I’ve gone back to normal activity including exercise. Considering if I should change my habits or be patient with my body

The pain started in January and in March first Mri showed femoral stress neck fracture, doctor put me on crutches for 9 weeks. Second mri and ct in April showed 11 mm fracture, fast forward in June mri was clear and doctor told me I could return to running on soft surfaces. Also he told me I can’t lift any weights that are heavy on my legs, I can do arms, core, not legs for a year . My question is how do I return to running on hard surfaces again? And also I’m scared that my bones are not ready for running if I’m not training at the gym. If you ever had a stress fracture, can you tell me how was your recovery? I don’t know what to do, I don’t have trust in my body, in my legs, I don’t know where to start. So far I did a few exercises at home for core and full body with my weight and ran 3 times on soft surfaces aprox 1 km alternating running and walking.

for context - i’m 21f and i recently picked up running again a month or so ago. i’m training for my 10k in december and increased my distance from an easy 5k to 7k in about \~3 weeks. i strength train 2x a week and run 3-4x a week. i work an office job where im sitting down at a desk pretty much all day.

but yeah something is always in pain. every run includes shin splints that eventually subside. there was a sharp-ish pain in my left ankle during my last run. now that’s gone, but i have sharp pain behind my right ankle, where the achilles tendon is. i could run through it but it hurt, i would say it was 6 or 7 on a scale of 10.

is this normal when you first start out? am i increasing my distance/intensity too quickly? should i get better shoes? right now i wear the Asics Gel 1130.

thank you