I'm an athlete, just starting my summer
break and coming off back to back to back
football, basketball and basketball
seasons. I've been off for a month, maybe
two now. Sometime in what can only be
assumed to be around late september, I
developed a stress fracture in right foot.
It was a fracture of the tarsal
navicular. However, this was not
diagnosed until about february because of
conflicts with basketball. In between my
first and second basketball seasons I let
it heal, but of course, the first
tournament in the second season, I felt it
break again. Now, having been off for a
few weeks, i've let it heal again (a ct
scan showed that it was still fractured,
but not as bad as before) and I am
confident that it is almost 100%. My
problem, however, lies in other areas,
that I think may have something to do with
the original injury. What must be taken
into account is that I played a 5 game
football season, about a 40 game
basketball season, and probably another
20-25 game basketball season on this
broken foot. After finally seeing a
specialist in february and having a ct
scan taken and my problem diagnosed, I
went to see a physiotherapist. Everything
was going well, until I noticed two other
injuries pop up. The first, which was
found in an x-ray taken of my foot the
second time to reaffirm that I indeed
refractured my tarsal navicular showed a
fracture of the 5th metatarsal. Now I was
only in there for a quick session, and it
was not focused on the metatarsal, so I
have little information to pass on.
Through research though, and talks with my
physiotherapist, I have come to some
conclusions. First off, when I pointed
out the problem to him, before I knew it
was a fracture and not just some bump on
the side of my foot, he said it was a bone
that was sticking out to over-compensate
for the way I carried myself due to my
weakened ankle. He told me to tape it,
which I then did for a while, but stopped.
Then I found out that it was a fracture,
and he said it was probably from severely
spraining my ankle, or for having muscles
too tight, the latter of which I assume it
to be. So that would mean it is an
avulsion fracture. On this matter, I have
a few questions. First, I have begun
securely taping it down, and continue to
walk in normal shoes. (i wore an
orthopedic boot for my stress fracture to
heal, that was weight-bearing, and noticed
no change in the metatarsal fracture).
Secondly, it is quite protrudent, and
sticks out noticably, and I can feel it.
I have only been taping it for a week now,
and it seems to be getting a bit better.
The questions I pose or these: is taping
it (along with regular icing) the correct
route to follow? I read on the internet
that a stiff-soled shoe could be worn,
along with the taping as well. I don't
really play sports that much, with it
being the offseason and all, and I am not
opposed to taking a break to attain
perfect health. Second, is the bone
supposed to stick out that much? And is
it just a matter of the bone re-entering
my foot for it to heal, or does it need to
be forced back in?
Now on to my second query, which I am
almost totally in the dark about. It
involved my left heel, on the foot that
has no fractures that I know of. Whenever
I do run around, noticing it start at the
end of my last basketball season, and
noticing it in the past few weeks whenever
small physical activity has been
undertaken, I get a pain, one that is
bearable, but on the verge of being
unbearable, in my left heel. It is not on
the base, but rather about an inch, inch
and a half up, and seemingly right in the
central of the heel. I can feel it on
each side of my feel with my fingers. I
have no idea what could be causing this,
so a posed solution would be greatly
appreciated.
Any and all comments and solutions on any
of the above issues would be greatly
appreciated. Thanks a million.
