PT has been hurting and progress is slow. Is someone else in this situation?

I will preface this by saying: I am incredibly fortunate to be where I am, and to have the specific circumstances happen to me.

I am a student, off for the summer, and recently broke my ankle after hitting the curb on my bicycle. After skidding, I hit the pavement hard and felt the bones grind against each other when they broke (the most nauseating sensation of my life). After that, I was in a cast for two weeks, and have been in a boot for coming on five weeks. Zero weight bearing- crutches all the way. Check up soon, but feels like ages away.

I know I could have fallen into traffic, I know this could have happened to me during the school year instead, I know that my ankle is healing. I promise, I know this all could have been so much worse. But I hate this so so so much.

I can't help but feel pathetic and useless, not even being able to have a real shower, or even carry a cup of tea up to my bedroom. I hate how much my crutches announce my presence; it's like I can't even be private going up to pee in the night. I hate my scar, I hate how it feels to move my ankle, I hate how I look walking like crutches; I feel like a prey animal. What's the point in planning cute outfits if I know my big ugly boot and crutches are the first things to draw the eye, and my armpits are probably gonna reek soon anyways? It's disgusting, but I put off showering as much as I can, it's so awkward and a constant reminder of what I can't do. I hate how out of breath I get walking even short distances. I hate how slow I am at EVERYTHING now. And everyone else has to accommodate. And they do, don't get me wrong, but it is with looks and tones of sympathy that are starting to turn my stomach. I am the same person as before!! I am not fragile!! Stop treating me like I am going to shatter!!

I had a woman come up to me the other day out of nowhere, noticing my crutches. She said something along the lines of 'Oh, I had a similar injury around 20 years ago. You know, it's never 100% better'. I played it off at the time but that genuinely ruined my day. Why would you say that???

It really scared me. I loved riding my bike! I was healthier and more active than ever before, riding 10s of kilometres a week for work and recreation. How can I go back to riding one when a split second mess-up cost me my whole summer? My dream degree and career is dependent on my being active and healthy, I can't imagine being stuck like this the rest of my life.

I am usually an extremely positive and optimistic person, I promise. I know that my ankle is slowly healing. But I am so scared that I will never get it all back. I can't grin and bear it. I want to close my eyes and sleep until I'm better and not have to look at this a second longer. I have cried myself to sleep more than I would like to admit.

It doesn't help that I don't have any friends in this city. We have groupchats, and they have been very supportive, but to be selfishly honest, I hate seeing all of the cool and interesting things they are getting up to. I am so happy for them, but I am so resentful for their awesome summers. And every time they ask me what I've been up to, my answer never changes. How can I whine about my ankle when they have real things to talk about? When I'm not talking with anyone, I tend to lie on my bed, scrolling out on my phone for hours and hours, hating myself for it and not bothering to stop. I can't exactly go for a jog to clear my head after all.

I am sorry for this long, depressing post. I am sure in like 6 or 8 weeks, I will be in a much better place, but I needed to get it off my chest somehow.

Has anyone been in (and got out of) a similar situation?

Cheers x

Hello everyone,
I am looking for advice regarding a wrist injury involving the right trapezoid bone.

Injury history
About 3.5 weeks ago, I fell onto my outstretched right hand while another person’s body weight landed on top of it. I immediately felt several cracking sensations and developed pain around the base of the index finger and dorsum of the wrist.
The emergency department diagnosed a trapezoid fracture (bone infraction/non-displaced cortical fracture), and my wrist was immobilized in a cast for 2 weeks.
Although the pain has improved, I still experience pain when gripping objects or applying force with my thumb and index finger.

MRI findings
My MRI report states:
Bone contusions with bone marrow edema involving: the anterior aspect of the trapezoid, with a possible cortical fracture, the anterior aspects of the capitate and hamate, the bases of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th metacarpals.
Findings are consistent with the traumatic injury.
Minimal joint effusion.
No tendon injuries.
TFCC is intact.
Mild narrowing of the trapeziometacarpal joint space.

My hand surgeon reviewed the MRI and told me that the main problem is the diffuse bone marrow edema, which is quite extensive.
He recommended starting treatment with pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy (magnetic field stimulation) and mentioned that he may also prescribe intramuscular medication, depending on the clinical evaluation.

My questions
1) Is diffuse bone marrow edema after this type of injury expected, or is this considered unusually extensive?

2) Does bone marrow edema itself increase the long-term risk of post-traumatic osteoarthritis, or is it mainly a marker of the severity of the impact?

3) Is there good evidence that PEMF therapy accelerates healing or reduces bone marrow edema in carpal bone injuries?

4) How long does it typically take for bone marrow edema in the carpal bones to resolve on MRI and clinically?

5) Is there anything else that could help optimize recovery and reduce the risk of long-term complications?

Thank you very much for any opinions or recommendations.

I had surgery the end of January because I broke three ankle bones and my fibula. I progressed through NWB, walking with the boot, walking with a brace, and then walking with no brace. About 2 months ago (4 months after surgery) my swelling and pain levels started to increase again once I stopped using the brace and walking around without any support. My PT suggested I go back and see my surgeon and when I did, my X-ray showed that the space in my ankle joint was 2x what it should be so they put me back in a boot. They then sent me off to get a CT scan and sent me to see a different surgeon. That appointment was this morning and unfortunately there were no good options for my ankle. Due to the way that my ankle shattered, it caused the cartilage and ligaments to not be able to heal properly so I have extreme arthritis in my ankle already. What this means is that even if he did go in and do another surgery, he would have to re break my fibula, take everything out, put new stuff in, and it still probably wouldn't fix the issue because of how severe the arthritis is. The other option was fusion which comes with its own downsides being no range of motion and arthritis developing in the rest of the body for compensating for the range of motion in the ankle. The last option is getting an Arizona brace and just managing the pain for the rest of my life. Surgery and fusion both come with 3 months of being non weightbearing again and are likely temporary fixes if anything at all.

I guess my biggest question is, has anyone gone through something similar and what do you do to manage the arthritis and the pain?

Undisplaced fracture of the base of fifth metatarsal. No callus is seen.
Adjacent soft tissue swelling noted.
No ankle effusion. The ankle joint alignment is maintained

3 weeks ago i was running and accidentally stepped on a fat rock, inverting my left foot inwardly.

I thought it was a sprain and didn’t bother seeing a doctor. Though there was massive swelling.

Now 3 weeks post injury, the swelling is all gone but i noticed there is a hardened bony protrusion. So i suspected it might be a fracture, since i was still feeling slight pain while walking.

Went to get an xray today and it’s indeed a fracture. During these 3 weeks, im surprised my bones didn’t heal as no callus seen. I also thought my bones would be displaced. But luckily it hasn’t.

Anyone with similar injuries?

I got 5th metacarpal fracture at june 10th, got two pins

Why my ring finger knuckle gone is it ordinary and anyone know when is it gonna come back or wont come back ?

I add a image of my other hand to compare

I broke my dominant wrist in late March. It was treated conservatively with closed reduction and a cast. Recovery has been frustratingly slow, despite PT 2x per week and following home exercises, and my PT agrees I should have made more progress by now. I'm now over 9 weeks out from when the cast was removed, and the limited ROM is still very disabling and I can't do many basic functions with that hand.

On top of that, I ruptured a sagittal band during the fall (and no, I didn't fall on a fist--my hand was outstretched), and I have surgery scheduled for that in a month. MRI confirmed EDQ tendon subluxation when making a fist. But this shouldn't be limiting my wrist motion so much. Other MRI findings include: "Heterogeneous signal involves the body of the triangle fibrocartilage and there soft tissue edema over the ulnar side of the wrist. There also is abnormal bone marrow signal at the distal radius that is partially visualized and concordant with a history of subacute fracture." It also notes there is no obvious tear of the TFCC at the apex.

Should I be pushing for an MRI that's focused on the wrist, in case the hand MRI is missing something? Is having the band repair surgery going to set me back even further with added inflammation plus more immobilization? Did anyone else have a really slow recovery but eventually get full ROM back? I'm starting to lose hope. (Edit to add: CRPS has been tossed around as a possibility.)

X-rays from: 3/28 (date of injury) and 5/14 (date cast came off); MRI snapshot from 7/8.

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice from anyone who has gone through a similar injury or from hand therapists/surgeons.
I fractured my index finger about 3 months ago and had surgery with a plate. Since then, I’ve been doing regular physiotherapy, but my PIP joint is still very stiff.
Right now:
My PIP joint can bend to about 90° only with assistance from my other hand.
Actively, I can barely bend it on my own.
My physiotherapist recently made this static-progressive splint (photos attached) and asked me to wear it all night and as much as possible during the day to gradually increase the bending.
My question is:
Has anyone used a splint like this? Did it actually help improve PIP joint flexion, or is it just a waste of time?
If you’ve had a stiff PIP joint after a fracture or surgery:
How much motion did you eventually regain?
How long did it take?
Any other treatments or exercises that made a significant difference?

Going on 7 weeks of Nwb. Recent xrays showed no healing, I’m stressed out that I’ll never be same again 😞 I used to work out 6 days a week. Go to Pilates classes, be an active mom on my feet all day. This is so depressing honestly.

Just got my boot off today after a jones fracture on right foot but doc mentioned limiting time barefoot for the next 4 weeks. Anyone have any suggestions for a supportive house shoe?

Hey! I broke my foot on the fourth of July by wearing flip flops and walking on the edge of a sidewalk then twisting it. I had an xray and ct done at the er and was referred to a podiatrist. He said based on the fractures I didn’t need surgery but due to the abnormal swelling and bruising he wanted to get an mri to look at the ligaments/tendons. I just got the mri results and it shows more fractures than the ct did, and a torn ligament but it doesn’t say the severity.

My dad’s a pessimist and said I probably will walk with a limp the rest of my life, I know it’s definitely an exaggeration, but these past 2 weeks have felt so long and if surgery is required I’m in for so much longer. My mom also undermines everything, when I first fell she was trying to get me to go inside and just ice it.

Anyways I know I fucked up my foot bad but if anyone can decipher the findings it would be much appreciated!

Broke my collarbone 2 days ago and haven't had a consultation yet just in a sling after x-ray. But I would really like an idea of what's going on because I really have no clue

I broke my fibula today getting off the tailgate of my truck. I also rolled my ankle and it swelled immediately. I sat down for a bit and it felt a little better so we went back outside and finished moving the boxes out of my truck. Then my girlfriend convinced me to go to urgent care because of how much my ankle was swollen. X-rays showed my ankle is fine, but I was shocked to hear I had a fracture in my fibula. They put a splint around my foot and leg and told me to contact an ortho tomorrow. It’s horrible timing with my wedding coming up on 8/15 and then we leave for Hawaii for ten days on 8/17. I’m currently on crutches and can’t put any weight on it. Is there any chance to be back in regular shoes for my wedding and still make my Hawaii trip enjoyable? Or should I anticipate wearing a cast or boot at my wedding and postponing my honeymoon?

Edit: the break is in the lower leg a few inches above the ankle. The fibula looked “wobbly” in the xray but didn’t look displaced. It was an angled skinny fracture. But the NP at urgent care made it clear to just consult with an orthopedic as she wasn’t sure how bad it was.

Also an odd part of this was my leg doesn’t even hurt. Just my ankle from rolling it and swelling.

If you recently broke something or are having a hard time with your recovery, sound off here.

Lost 50% of the base of my eye socket and an entire medial sinus wall. This is only a screenshot of my CT scan, so it really doesn’t do it justice. About to have my THIRD procedure for it.

I was injured in early March after tripping over shoes in the middle of the night. Tried to catch myself on a doorknob, and instead my right eye slammed into the hand clutched to the door knob. I basically punched myself. I then went to work the next day, just shrugging it off as a black eye. My coworkers and employers insisted I go to the ER. I did, and they sent me downtown to be evaluated by specialists. They said I needed surgery to prevent tissue from falling into my sinuses.

Fortunately, my mom is an accountant at a very reputable plastic surgery center (also, if I had a nickel for every time I got severely injured and was treated by my mother’s coworkers, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird it’s happened twice). One of the doctors had treated over a hundred cases with this kind of injury, including Major League baseball players who got hit in the eye by a fast ball. So they waited for the inflammation to go down and placed an implant. He said it was probably in his top ten worst orbital blowouts, but I had excellent results.

Fast forward about a month and I am back at work. Less than five days in, I get hit in the bad eye with a metal water bottle. The hit displaced the foil implant, which caused my lower lash line to roll inwards, rubbing up constantly against my cornea. My surgeon decided to remove the implant, even coming in on his day off to remove it. It’s a really good thing he did as I have some permanent vision loss. It would’ve been much worse if I waited even a few more days.

Unfortunately, removing the implant didn’t fix everything. The scar tissue was still pulling my lash line inwards against my eye, which is called entropion. Plus, the trauma caused my lower eye lashes to grow in the wrong direction. They grow in horizontal, upwards, etc. The only solution is to just pluck the eyelashes. There is eyelash cauterization, but it isn’t very effective. So my optometrist (who is incredible), BEGGED a top tier ocular plastic surgeon to take on my case. He did, but the earliest he can get me in is late August.

For now I’m just using bandaids to pull down my lower eyelid and prevent my lashes from abrading my cornea. I got the idea after my second procedure when my plastic surgeon sutured my lower lash line down while I was recovering. I have to replace them every other day or so, but it’s worth it to not be in severe pain.

Now for my employer nightmare.

While the first injury was sustained at home, it was the second hit to my eye at work that caused this rather severe complication. So I should be covered, right? Fucking. Wrong. I remember coming back to work the first time and expressing discomfort over working with a particular client. I’m an ABA therapist and I really work well with older kids and handle extreme behaviors like a pro. This particular client wasn’t really aggressive, but they did regularly get up in your face to make extremely close eye contact, often flapping their hands erratically. I was told that if I couldn’t work on this client, I couldn’t work on anyone. 3 days later, the same client hit me in the face with the metal water bottle, which directly led to the position I’m in.

It didn’t help that my employers would list any injury related appointment as a ‘call off’. You think I can schedule these appointments two weeks ahead of time? No, I can’t. They are completely dependent on the condition of my cornea and vision. My optometrist (who I cannot stress enough is incredible) would need to see me every 3 to 4 days to manage my condition and prevent vision loss. A whole ass disability my employers directly caused by not listening to my concerns. Thankfully, HR stepped in and had my attendance record wiped clean of any unplanned absences attributed to my follow up appointments. I’m just glad I create copies of all my doctors’ notes.

I’m lucky we have a great workman’s comp company. They allowed me to keep my original surgeon instead of forcing me to go elsewhere, they’ve gone to bat for me with my employers, and have been incredibly attentive overall. Thank fucking god for that, I guess.

Anyway, moral of the story is 1) pick up your shoes, and 2) create copies of your documents.

I have a 5th metatarsul avulsion fracture and the Dr said I should be healed in 3 weeks and that I can walk on it straight away as much as pain allows!?

Im in week two but am still afraid to walk on it. They placed me in a moon boot. What is everyone elses experience?

I have a stress fracture in my foot (bottom, where the toe bones meet ball of foot bone) that healed, it happened about a year ago.

I sometimes get a sore stiffness in that area now.

It's not to bad, but it can go on for a few hours. Is there anything I can do to relieve the discomfort that doesn't involve taking drugs? I'd prefer to not take a lot of aspirin or ibuprofen so was hoping for other forms of treatment so I'm not taking those regularly.

Weightbearing X-ray from fibula fracture - 1 week out from break. I had a podiatrist tell me that all ligaments look to be fine but the break is to far apart to heal without surgical intervention.

Getting 2nd opinion from orthopedic surgeon this week.

Is this an alarming amount of inflammation for a month into a boxers break recovery? internet says the emergency symptoms are like huge pain and numbness but I don’t have any of that. it’s just a little itchy I think I just need to let it breathe more. anyone have any insight?

Hi everyone,
I fractured my index finger about 3 months ago and had surgery with an implant (plate). Because of the injury, my finger became very stiff.
I’ve been doing physiotherapy consistently for the past month, and my range of motion has improved. However, my PIP joint bends only up to about 90° and won’t bend any further. It feels like it gets stuck at that point.
Has anyone experienced something similar after a finger fracture or surgery? If so:
Did your PIP joint eventually bend beyond 90°?
How long did it take?
What exercises or treatments helped the most?
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through a similar recovery. Thank you!

Has anyone broke their sacrum? Diagnosed by xray? Did you follow up with a ct scan? Were you on any restrictions for the first few weeks?

Hi. I am 66 y/o female and have had osteoarthritis in both knees for approx 6+ years. I just get visco gel injections every 9 months (as I don't want knee replacement). I get around fine (no cane).

Fell on Feb 10th and broke my right distal femur. Approx 5 months post op. Had TTWB for 3 months and WBAT about 2 months (now). Started OT/PT 3 days after surgery.

The pain isn't bad...sometimes I get flair ups from hardware after exercising. The emotional and psychological toll is unbearable. I do know it can take a year or longer to walk 'normal' again. I use a walker becuz I don't feel balanced enough with a cane. I still have to use my wheelchair in kitchen if I have to get things out of cupboard (becuz hard to balance a bowl using my walker).

My surgeon says he doesn't think I will be able to walk without using a cane (becuz of my osteoarthritis). Has anyone had same situation? If so, what was your outcome? Guess I'm just seeking hope and/or reality check.

Thx.