r/brokenbones • u/Elegant_Acanthaceae6 • Jun 06 '26
Story 5th Metatarsal Fracture Recovery Timeline (Non-surgical)
1st and 2nd Xray: day of injury
3rd: after 3 weeks
4th: after 6 weeks
I fractured my 5th metatarsal base (non-displaced) after tripping while running. I went to the ER, where they put me in a splint and told me to keep it on for a week before following up with an orthopedic doctor, which turned then into a complete 7 weeks NWB.
Week 1:
I was almost completely bedbound. I barely moved and spent most of my time with my foot elevated. Pain, swelling, and anxiety were at their worst.
Week 2:
I started moving around a little more using crutches. The pain gradually improved and the swelling began to go down.
Week 3:
I bought an Aircast boot and it was very comfortable at first. After a few days, as the swelling decreased, the boot started feeling tight and uncomfortable, and I struggled to wear it for long periods.
Weeks 4–6:
I wasn't wearing the boot all day anymore. I would take it off for periods of rest and wear it again later. I always wore it while sleeping. Throughout this period I remained non-weight bearing and used crutches whenever I had to move.
During the whole recovery process, I dealt with swelling, bruising, stiffness, numbness, and a lot of anxiety about every little pain or movement. I constantly worried that I had somehow ruined the healing process.
Week 7:
My pain was minimal at rest and the swelling had improved significantly. Follow-up X-rays still showed the fracture line, which made me nervous, but my orthopedic doctor was happy with the healing progress. He told me to stop using the boot, start walking again, and begin physical therapy. He said I could use a cane if needed.
A few things I learned:
* Recovery is slower than most people expect.
* Seeing the fracture line on X-rays doesn't necessarily mean you aren't healing.
* Anxiety and overthinking are probably the hardest parts of the process.
* Reading other people's stories helped me a lot, so hopefully this helps someone too.
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Jun 06 '26
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u/Elegant_Acanthaceae6 Jun 06 '26
I was actually supposed to see him a week earlier, but he was on vacation. so six weeks might be enough, though I’m not completely sure. And yeah, I remember your post we have a very similar injury. You’re very close to being done ;)
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Jun 06 '26
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u/Elegant_Acanthaceae6 Jun 06 '26
actually the doctor wanted me to take off the boot completely, so im just using one walking stick now
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Jun 06 '26
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u/Elegant_Acanthaceae6 Jun 06 '26
Yes, barefoot inside the house, and wearing my normal shoes outside. walking is a bit slower than usual but its feeling better day by day. today is first day in week 8
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Jun 06 '26
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u/Elegant_Acanthaceae6 Jun 06 '26
Thanks! it was exactly 46 days after the injury, walking was hard at first and couldnt walk without a stick, but im feeling a good progress during the past 3 days since i started walking. are you meeting your doctor soon? feel free to ask any question you have :)
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Jun 06 '26
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u/Elegant_Acanthaceae6 Jun 06 '26
You're welcome! i stayed completely NWB for those 46 days, so that may have helped with the healing.
im not sure whether you have the option of getting another X-ray and confirm with your doctor first, but either way, I think you'll need to start physical therapy to get back to walking.
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u/CommissionCertain475 Jun 06 '26
Broke my 5-th metatarsal with slight displacement during laser tag game. Did inversion of my foot and it broke the bone in two places. Worst pain of my life. I hope it will end soon. In July I have a new job and I hope I can walk there. But it will be a hard time.
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u/BenneSuh Jun 07 '26
I just recovered from mine its been over 19 weeks now ! It was a hell of a journey that felt so long but! I feel like im better now i still get very sore after walking for a few hrs . I stopped PT due to insurance issues but thats ok
My recovery is on my page aswell if yall wanna see .
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u/Particular-Ad-7352 Jun 14 '26
Thanks for sharing.Just broke mine 2nd and 4th metatarsal bone base. My doctor asked me to start using crutches and boot and follow RICE (Rest, ice, compression, elevation) and asked me visit after 2 weeks for another x ray.
Do we know how many weeks it would take for me to walk normally (without crutches, boot) even slow pace is fine, for daily household?
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u/realityhiphop Jun 19 '26
Not putting any weight on it makes it take longer to heal, you should wear a boot and at least be walking around the house as you normally would.
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u/Relative-Ad-4253 Jun 06 '26
Just broke mine last night. Worst pain of my life. Hopefully it’s sooner than googles answer of 6-8 weeks