Tag Archives: fracture

Caring for Your Cast

If you’ve broken a bone, you may end up needing to spend some quality time wearing a cast. Here are some tips to help care for your cast! Keep the cast dry. It’s going to be a pain, but you’ve got to do your best. Wrap the cast in plastic if you want to bathe — a bath may be easier than a shower, depending on where the cast is. When I had nine stitches in my palm and had to keep them dry, I had a heck of a time washing up. A bath was easier because I could … Continue reading →

Help Your Bones Heal

Healing a broken bone doesn’t have to be just a waiting game — put on the cast and sit back to wait. There are some things you can do to help a bone heal after an injury. If you’re a smoker — STOP. Patients who smoke take a longer time to heal (on average) than those who do not. Smokers are also at higher risk of developing a nonunion — a bone that doesn’t heal correctly. Why? Smoking can alter the blood flow to your bones, depriving a healing area of necessary nutrients. Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Your body … Continue reading →

First Aid: Broken Bone

I’ve got lots of weird and funny broken bone stories — usually fingers and toes. I broke a toe in gym class playing soccer when I missed the ball and kicked a classmate instead. I broke a finger when a friend threw a brick at me. Nearly seven million Americans see an orthopedic specialist for a broken bone each year. I saw one for one of my broken fingers… but used the plain old emergency room or family doctor for the others. The average citizen can expect to suffer two broken bones over a lifetime. I guess that makes me … Continue reading →

What Is a Stress Fracture?

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After my mysterious foot pain while walking the dogs, I was afraid I might have a stress fracture in my right foot. I’m pretty sure I just stepped wrong, but I’m still curious about stress fractures. A stress fracture is an overuse injury. In a normal fracture, a sudden, high force event (like a fall) breaks the bone. In a stress fracture, the forces involved are lower but happen repeatedly for a long period of time. You could also call a stress fracture a “fatigue fracture”. They are most often seen in athletes who run and jump on hard surfaces. … Continue reading →

Stressing Over Stress Fractures

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I don’t know if I’m accident prone lately or what… but it seems like I’ve been extra clumsy. I was out walking my dogs Moose and Lally today. Since we don’t have a yard, I try to take them out at least four or five times each day — sometimes longer walks and sometimes just a quick piddle outside the patio. We were on a longer walk around the apartment complex, and maybe two-thirds of the way home when I guess I just stepped wrong. I got a shooting pain up the outside of my right ankle, from the sole … Continue reading →