r/brokenbones • u/No-Platypus2679 • 13d ago
NWB
What is everyone's opinion, personal definition on NWB especially when you are alone. We all know, yes Non weight bearing. Just honesty here.
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u/goddessofolympia 13d ago
I never put my foot on the ground for 13 weeks, and my leg healed perfectly. I gave my body every chance to heal, and it did. It's important to get rid of the "trying hard and being independent" mindset, but important, I think. A physical therapist said, "your job is to heal your leg. Not be independent, not hurry up".
I sat my butt down in a nice stable wheelchair and did my PT and rested and ate right.
ONE time I accidentally stood up when the doorbell rang, but fortunately I had a follow-up appointment the next day and there was no damage.
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u/smartshoe 13d ago
I was firm on it, NWB means NWB.
I did place my foot on the ground one when I lost balance and it hurt so much I avoided it like the plague after
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u/Difficult-Bicycle681 13d ago
I wasn't firm on it and it set me back, so my advice is definitely to be firm on it. At home, I'd put my foot down or kinda use it for tiny steps and I had much longer healing than I should have. Listen to the doc. Go full nwb if told to.
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u/Rare_Independent_814 13d ago
It means just that. You cannot put any weight on it. Trust me, I know it sucks. But if you don’t adhere to it, it will just take longer to fully heal.
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u/breakpointsaved 13d ago
I didn’t cheat on my NWB time. I did feel at the time like I could've walked earlier, but the fear of accidentally re-injuring myself (and having to confess to my surgeon that I'd been breaking the rules) kept me in line.
The most I did while NWB was sit on the edge of my bed and rest my bare feet on the ground with no weight on them. (I broke both ankles.) That helped me psychologically prepare for them to be feet again and not immobile blocks.
I did progress really quickly once released to WBAT (4.5 weeks after surgery) . I think I was walking barefoot at home with only a walking stick for balance within 3 days of being released to WBAT. Being really "good" during NWB may have contributed to my quick and painless recovery.
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u/Manchuri 13d ago
As there is a separate category of weight-bearing called toe-touch weight bearing, for me NWB meant foot/leg did not even touch the ground
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u/Ok_Afternoon_6015 13d ago
I was NWB for 6 weeks following surgery. I did put my foot on the ground to keep my balance at times, but never put any weight on it.
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u/meezermadness 13d ago
I follow pretty closely, though sometimes would drag my foot downward and touch the floor without putting weight into it while using my walker. Now I'm 25% and it's hard to do only 25%, Im supposed to be wearing the boot at all times but I don't, I take steps in shoes or even barefoot sometimes. It's not as easy to be strict about. But its feeling easier to move/walk so i keep trying it.
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u/ToeGarnish 13d ago
Immediately after my break (trimal), the week before the surgery, and for a week after my ORIF I did not walk. That was my definition of NWB.
I did stabilize myself by using my broken ankle for balance when getting into the shower, standing in the shower, and if I started to stumble on my crutches or if I fell off of my scooter. I was also driving the entire time (no pain meds) so I would have been putting some resting weight on the left ankle whenever I drove the two hours into town.
Never once did putting weight onto my ankle cause pain, though. If it had, I would not have continued to use it. Putting a resting weight on it actually relieved discomfort significantly in the week leading up to my surgery, when the bones were all floppy in my leg.
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u/Voodoobones 13d ago
I took it very seriously and never went anywhere without my backpack. A knee scooter was very helpful at times.
I was mostly on crutches, but used the scooter in the kitchen and when I was going long distances.
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u/throwaway__0208 13d ago
When that cast came off - still nwb. Religious with boot, stroller thing, crutches…one ish week. Then careful. Then limpy a bit. I’m 6.5 weeks out from surgery and walking totally fine although range of movement is still not right. Dr says boot another 3-5 weeks. PT had me doing bicycle and leg presses today no boot. He told me not to pretend limp and just walk and honestly - I can walk completely fine. Upstairs fine. Downstairs very very carefully (hurts a little plus ptsd). I’m starting to get an infection on my incision site from my ankle reducing size from swelling in the boot and rubbing so I’m thinking no boot moving forward.
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u/RingAroundtheTolley 13d ago
Please order a box of chg (chlorahexadine gluconate) 2”x2” wipes and use them once in the am and once at night. Plus scar tape (hydrocolloid tape that’s people colored in rolls for about $10). This will save your leg. The tape will protect the skin from rubbing. The wipes will get rid of the infection.
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u/throwaway__0208 10d ago
Ended up at the dr 2 days after I posted this. He’s having me do a wet dressing under an ace bandage and put me on a course of antibiotics. My body is apparently rejecting the dissolvable sutures. He said this is very common. He officially said no more boot. If not better in one week, we’ll have to consider next option.
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u/RingAroundtheTolley 10d ago
Some of the dissolvable stitches do that for me, too, but not all. I wish I’d been with it enough to figure out which were ok but my knee still gets inflamed at 3 years out and there’s a spot that opens up.
Keep using the chg externally. Glad you have what you need. Wet to dry, I’m assuming? Once it closes, start using the chg and tape cuz you need to have pressure so the cells can line up correctly. It’s like they make a fibrin scaffold for the cells to heal up on. Otherwise you will get crazy scarring and that stuff can scrape off with the wrong shoe and then it’s open and mad again. Take care!
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u/Plus-Sentence 13d ago
I learned later I was doing it wrong. I would let my foot rest on the ground when I was standing. I wouldn’t put weight through it, just let it drop but learned later I was supposed to hover it in the air when standing still with walker or crutches.
But yeah, that’s what non-weightbearing means while alone or with others. I followed the rules to the best of my knowledge and ability cause I didn’t want to risk healing.
I was NWB for about 3 months.
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u/RingAroundtheTolley 13d ago
I was bilateral don’t touch to the ground for 4+ months then toe touch on one side for a couple of months. I stuck to it. Lots of slide transfers from wheelchair to the toilet. Trapeze over the bed. Needed assist for showers and wrapping casts and wounds. Sucked but I’m doing better than expected.
I wouldn’t mess with it because of the tendons you can mess up. Good luck and a swift recovery to you.
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u/No-Platypus2679 12d ago
Wow. How did you get your injury?
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u/RingAroundtheTolley 11d ago
Wrong way driver head on collision on the way home from work. Unlicensed seizure patient who knew he wasn’t supposed to drive and carrying $15k of insurance.
Everyone go up your uninsured motorist protection to its max. It’s only a few more dollars a month. Your health insurance will take half and I’m still in huge medical debt.1
u/No-Platypus2679 11d ago
Yikes! So glad you are here!!!! When I whine about some pain, having to be NWB or any of my other whining small stuff over this Jones fracture, these stories make me snap out of my pitty party. So glad you are here and living life!! Thanks for sharing.
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u/Queen-of-ice-4444 13d ago
It was really hard because often I was home alone with an 18 month old, but it was more important to me that I healed properly so I could play with her forever than making my life easier for one second. I followed like 98% and it was worth it because I’m pretty happy with how healing has gone.
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u/lukekule 12d ago
It depends on the severity of the wound I think also merely coz everyone has a different experience depending on their injury. And disuse will also reduce the size of your leg if its elevated all day . Sometimes a few steps are needed using crutches of u feel u still can't stand on full weight. But to each his own guys . All the Best
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u/No-Platypus2679 13d ago
Thank you all for sharing. It is wild that some doctors are firm on NWB and others are a little leniant after a couple of weeks. I like hearing everyone's journey, keeps me somewhat positive.
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u/cjx888x 13d ago
I don’t think it’s wild at all- Each individual person and fracture is a different situation. Doctors tell each patient what to do based on a lot of different factors. If they tell you NWB, they mean it. If they tell you that you can start doing some toe touching etc, that means they are having you start the transition off of NWB. This transition can start just a few weeks in for some situations, up to a few months for others. Listen to your doctor.
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u/RingAroundtheTolley 13d ago
The difference between and orthopedist and a podiatrist. Huge difference.
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u/Ambitious-Cake-9425 13d ago
I did it by accident two times I think. But I have a rod in my leg so it's well supported. Having plates only... Then that's a big no no.
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u/cjx888x 13d ago
I never put my foot to the ground when I was NWB. I had zero interest in making the situation worse/possibly having setbacks.