Some time ago, January 2020, I managed to crack a bone and didn’t realise. I just got on with the discomfort etc. (It’s evidently a stupid man thing as my family have consistently told me ever since.) About 3 months ago all the compensating muscles said they had had enough and any mobility became an issue and extremely difficult. Scans and consultants followed and the crack diagnosed. I have been very careful for the past two months to try and let the bones heal. It appears they haven’t from the specific discomfort I am suddenly back in.
The bone in question is my pelvis and while I am buoyed by the fact that Geraint Thomas cycled the whole of the TdF with one a few years ago, I was wondering whether any of this esteemed company have any suggestions on how to get bones to knit that have worked for them? It seems that my pelvis, no matter how immobile I am, still moves, just a bit! I am on a cocktail of trace elements and vitamins as recommended by my consultants etc but…
As I say, it was all seemingly getting better but suddenly it is not and in particular, my right knee is again beginning to really suffer compensating.
You have my sympathy as I know how painful a broken bone can be whilst healing. I think the best thing to do is to follow the advice of your medical professionals. I hope your body heals soon.
Sad to tell you that in general the best treatment for a delayed union is time, and sometimes lots of it. Many modalities of varying complexity have been tried over the years but the evidence for most is unremarkable. It is a generalisation but often true in Medicine that where there is a proliferation of treatments it tends to be an indication that none work terribly well. Well-meaning advice on an internet forum should therefore also be taken with a pinch of salt, including from any retired medical professionals. Only your healthcare professionals know the exact details of your injury and your other health information.
I would however ask your consultant about physio and exercise; specifically what they are happy with you doing. Push them to see if you can work on other areas safely such as lower limb or upper back/neck etc. It might be possible in a pool or hydrotherapy setting but do not do any of this without personalised specific advice. Depending on the site of your fracture lots of exercise types will potentially be not only painful but may not help healing. I would also ask for advice re seating, posture etc, again the importance of this may depend on the exact fracture.
Agree with BruceW
However calcium and vitamin d may help
Smoking has a hugely adverse effect on bone union, and alcohol isn’t great either- way less significant than smoking though
The tincture of time and patience may be all that is required
I hope you are feeling better soon
Best wishes
Thank you all for your kind words and yes, I would have treated all your responses cautiously as you have suggested
I am in close discussion with a consultant and osteopath and we are all a bit stumped that it is taking so long to get any sort of bonding. The easy answer is that I am old and therefore it is taking much longer. The key issue I am facing is obviously keeping immobile long enough for the bones to bond. And weeks isn’t being enough. Of course life and work goes on so that period becomes critical and more difficult the longer it goes on.
Bruce, I had done little except move between bed and sofa as directed and then as directed started physio in a pool. It was going well and then wasn’t! So I have had to stop. I’m desperately trying to deal with it without resorting to painkillers and anti-inflammatories as they were having side effects for which other pills were being proposed. As I say, I am on a fine cocktail of high dose vitamins and trace elements to try and help things along. Along with the actual break, the key issue I am suffering is the
that the muscles in the leg that compensated for all those months and then said enough, need to be ‘retrained’ to work in the correct order etc. The physio was doing that. The lack of physio means that my knee is again taking much of the stress of the muscles not working correctly and is therefore becoming very very sore again. Remembering not to lock it and using supports is helpful of course.
I was just assuming that I am not the only one who has gone through this sort of thing so thought I would ask what others had found successful. Clearly the answer is time. (grrrr!)
As I say, thank you all for taking the time to respond.
I have been through a similar thing twice, both times had to resort to surgery due to bone damage as a side effect of radiotherapy. The first time was 3 months watchful waiting after a broken collarbone, the second time was 10 months watchful waiting after I broke the same collarbone again at the end of the metal plate, eventually had a second metal plate put in. Hopefully you will not need surgery.
I couldn’t avoid the painkillers etc and ended up taking a cocktail of meds which I hated, so applaud your decision to stop.
Only your healthcare professionals know the exact details of your injury and your other health information.