so I broke my friggin foot
 

yeah, I broke my foot. It sucks, cruches suck, and the fact that I'm working at a summer camp doesent help the sucking either. I really would like to know how to speed up the healing process for a fractured bone in the foot. Eat lotsa protien...check. Consume lotsa calcium... check. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

It's been a while since I've broken a foot - but I seem to recall there being different rules depending on which part of the foot you broke... Are you in a cast with it? or just on crutches...

Rest and elevation are probably your best bet.

As soon as you're allowed to do P.T., do it, don't skimp, work your tushie off. Best thing for it.

Do what maleficent and JustJess said... R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and PT/OT if indicated from your physician.

Calcium - no good unless you are taking Vit D with it.

A broken foot sucks... just have to suck it up and wait for time to do its thing.

Do not keep your limb completely immobalized. I don't know how much you should move it, but keep circulation going.

A friend of mine was instructed to keep her leg immobalized and raised after she hurt herself (I can't remember what the leg injury was exactly). They should have made it clear they meant "mostly immobalized". She developed a blood clot, and ended up being sick and on blood-thinning medication for a month after the initial injury was gone (this is above and beyond the danger to one's life a large blood clot entails).

Just a question for those suggesting to elavate the foot - isn't this just going to reduce blood flow? I wouldn't think there would be any benifit in doing that to reduce swelling, etc, after a day or two from the accident.

You want the foot to be higher than your heart. Dont worry, your heart will pump blood to your foot. If you leave it below the level of your heart, blood will accumilate around the injured area leadding to swelling. Elevating it encourages blood to flow back to the heart via the venous system. Even days after the injury elevation is still a good idea.

My sympathies. I broke my foot - technically the anterior (front side) portion of the calcaneous (heal) back in March of this year. I was in a brace for a month and a half and on crutches during that time. I went back after that 1 1/2 months, got an x-ray and was told it was not healed but I could go ahead and walk on it. The swelling pretty much stuck around until I got rid of the brace. It hurt to walk on it and still acts up a lot. Keeping it completely immobilized in the brace caused me to develop Plantar Fascitis which therapy helped be get rid of. It's better now. I still get a lot of aching and pain when storms are coming.

Not sure what kind of help that was but at least it gives you an idea of what the course of healing would take. The Dr told me that most likely it would take about a month.