# Apparently the Heel Bone is a Bad Thing To Break **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 6, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016 "2011-05-06T22:10:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/41 "2012-10-10T13:28:03Z")
> [@AlanUK](#): > > … > They gave me some crutches at the hospital so i’m able to get around but very tiring if I need to go any distance like even the corner shop to get some milk… An alternative to crutches might be a knee walker - basically a scooter with a knee-level platform. You kneel on that and kick yourself around with the good foot. Dunno if that’s appropriate for a heel injury. I used one for a bit when I broke a foot bone last year. They have their drawbacks, like you have to watch if you’re on rough pavement. Otherwise you hit a barrier, the scooter stops, and _you_ keep going, “ass over teakettle”. ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/42 "2012-10-10T13:45:06Z")
> [@AlanUK](#): > > I’ve been follwing the doctors orders and doing as much exercises as I can do mostly rolling it round, side to side and up and down movements. I’ve not been told when I can start butting weight on it so i’ve kept it off the floor, there was talk about giving me a special boot to wear, i’ll speak to the surgeon more when I have another hospital appointment in 2 weeks. > > How long was it until you were weight bearing and did you have much physio to get it working properly again ? It will be awhile and don’t rush it. You get one chance at having it heal properly. The walking boot is a lovely thing, it allows you to get mobile a little quicker. It’s a bit hard to remember but I think it was 3 months until I was using the walking boot with regularity, and about 6 when I was walking relatively normally (though with a limp). I didn’t do as much physical therapy as I should, a combination of expense, change in medical coverage, divorce, moving, and general laziness on my part. If I had any do-overs I would have pursued this more. My experience with my first 2 leg breaks made me believe that over time if I just kept pushing myself it would all workout. However I have discovered the foot injury is not like the other breaks. I am not a doctor however the stabbing pain is nerve regeneration I believe, and I have that 18 months later. The exercises are important - I was told to ‘trace the alphabet in the air with you toe’ in order to keep the joint loose. ---
**Author:** ![AlanUK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19b73/32.png) [@AlanUK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlanUK)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/43 "2012-10-10T14:21:05Z")
> [@2gigch1](#): > > The exercises are important - I was told to ‘trace the alphabet in the air with you toe’ in order to keep the joint loose. Nice advice the sergeon never told me that one, i’ll add that to my exercises. I have a strange sensation at the moment when I move the foot, at the side of the foot where the cut is it feels like something has been glued on my foot and I can’t shake it off. 3 months is in line with what i’ve been told I was hopeing it would be sooner, just another 2 months to go which means I should be able to go to work’s christmas doo on my feet. Thanks for the advice 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/44 "2012-10-10T14:51:55Z")
Healing vibes to your heels. Saw a vid recently of a guy with indestructible heels - Mountain biker Cameron Zink bailed out of an 80ft drop last week in a competition landing straight on his heels and got up and walked away: (Amazing) Head-cam footage: [- YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wKRo2OXTDok) _I think I’m fine just my heels really hurt_ :eek: Side on view: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmbkrL-VPvg) ---
**Author:** ![traceeenz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b487fb/32.png) [@traceeenz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/traceeenz)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/45 "2012-12-29T22:16:58Z")
Initially I decided against surgery but after over a year of constant pain and walking with a horrible limp I followed the surgical path and have had 3 major surgeries on my heal. The first op, I had my ankle fused but continued to have pain. Second op I had a bone graft, bone taken from my hip(maybe worse pain that the fracture) and grafted to my heal. The third op I had bone growth enhancers implanted into my heal. I still suffer chronic pain and now my Achilles tendons on both legs are starting to deteriorate. Its a mess quite frankly. Ive had a perforated stomach ulcer due to all the anti inflammatories I was takin gof the pain. Ironically that has to be the worst pain ever, child birth has nothing on this!! So now I am being referred to a pain clinic. Don’t know what will happen there but needless to say Ive been popping pain meds since it all happened. Its a vicious circle. Before I started surgery I found a messageboard that discussed the pros and cons of having surgery. It was 50/50. If Id known then what I would have had to go through I maybe would not have gone for surgery. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/46 "2012-12-29T23:03:19Z")
Best of luck to you. With my break as time went on the pain lessened. I hope the same happens for you. ---
**Author:** ![Amandamaria17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Amandamaria17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amandamaria17)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2013, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/47 "2013-05-05T06:02:31Z")
I just had surgery n got a metal heel put in did your heal or did you have surgery? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2013, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/48 "2013-05-05T11:56:53Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Baby toes and ribs are pretty good to break… if you have to break a bone, that is. :eek: Right… It’s “good” to break a rib bone, it only hurts when you breathe, after all. I once spent several weeks trying not to breathe more than necessary. Unfortunately, it was also spring allergy season… **\>ACHOOO!\<** ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/49 "2013-05-06T21:29:45Z")
I had surgery to repair the bone and a plate was put in. I still have reletively significant pain in that foot 2 years later. In fact, looking back, this appears to be the anniversary. Yay me. Do all the physical therapy you can - this is one really bad bone to break. I’ve come to realize this one is going to hurt for the rest of my life. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/50 "2013-05-07T05:10:11Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > :eek: > Right… It’s “good” to break a rib bone, it only hurts when you breathe, after all. I once spent several weeks trying not to breathe more than necessary. Unfortunately, it was also spring allergy season… **\>ACHOOO!\<** I broke four and had internal bleeding and inflammation of the lungs. I was constantly coughing when awake, so much so that sometimes I needed oxygen so I wouldn’t gasp for breath as deeply. It was rather painful and my Chinese doctors, in their wisdom, wouldn’t give painkillers as they are ‘bad for health’. I sent a friend out for ibuprofen. If I had to choose to break a bone I would go for a finger. On that point, in _Escape to Victory_ Colby (Michael Caine) breaks the arm of the goalie so he can be replaced by Hatch (Sly Stallone). I always wondered why they didn’t just break his pinkie? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/51 "2013-05-07T05:19:36Z")
> [@2gigch1](#): > > I had surgery to repair the bone and a plate was put in. > > I still have reletively significant pain in that foot 2 years later. In fact, looking back, this appears to be the anniversary. > > Yay me. > > Do all the physical therapy you can - this is one really bad bone to break. I’ve come to realize this one is going to hurt for the rest of my life. For what it’s worth, I had daily pain for a number of years before it gradually went away. ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/52 "2013-05-07T16:24:32Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > For what it’s worth, I had daily pain for a number of years before it gradually went away. Yeah that was my experience with my previous leg breaks. I wrote a note in **purplehorseshoe’s** thread about her husband talking about ‘normal’ which summed up my experience with recovery. Unfortunately this one is taking a lot longer due to the nature of the break (the foot - I can’t _not_ walk on it), my age (I’m getting older and not healing as fast) and complications (plantar fasciitis in both feet). So I actually work with a pain doctor and we have managed to keep me mostly pain free. I feel sorry for doctors in that profession - they are trying to do the hard work of helping people deal with chronic pain but on one side you have hordes of addicted people trying to fool them into giving out pills, on another side you have police looking for any slip up to swoop in and shut them down, and the feds enacting more & more rules to make their job harder. Sadly as a patient you are treated like a criminal and if you are _lucky_ you might be treated as merely a suspect over time. I have to pee in a cup every few visits to make sure I’m not taking other drugs (I don’t), and I have to visit _every month_ to get a prescription. At my specialist copay of $50. Used to be every 3 months but they changed the rules at the end of last year. I have managed to reduce the medicine, but I’m still a distance away from stopping altogether. **Don’t break your fucking heel bone!** ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/53 "2013-05-07T16:29:14Z")
Hey, I started reading this as a non zombie and am happy to realize it is not current. Broke my fibula distilla seven or eight years ago, still hurts sometimes. Getting old sucks. **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/54 "2013-05-07T16:36:30Z")
Well it’s funny, I don’t bump it but every few months some _Googler_ comes along and asks a question, so it has history, but it’s still kinda current as an example of recovery over time. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/55 "2013-05-07T19:00:48Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Which ones are the good bones to break? It wasn’t a broken bone, but in January I did a complete rupture of the Achilles tendon in my right leg. Very little pain throughout the whole thing, and I’m \>90% of the way back to normal. Need to get my natural running gait back, but that’s the main difference that’s noticeable anymore. ---
**Author:** ![MissIndependent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MissIndependent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissIndependent)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/56 "2013-05-07T19:24:12Z")
Ouch! Just reading that made me wince. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/57 "2013-05-07T20:21:43Z")
Tendon injuries are nothing to laugh at - when I was in high school I dislocated my knee and damaged the ligaments and tendons. It hurt worse than the broken ribs did, and for longer, and it took longer to recover. I have arthritis in that knee, but otherwise past about 2-3 years from the injury I never suffered an impairment from it. ---
**Author:** ![2brookeheels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/ccd318/32.png) [@2brookeheels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2brookeheels)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/58 "2015-05-08T20:59:42Z")
> [@2gigch1](#): > > Yeah that was my experience with my previous leg breaks. I wrote a note in **purplehorseshoe’s** thread about her husband talking about ‘normal’ which summed up my experience with recovery. > > Unfortunately this one is taking a lot longer due to the nature of the break (the foot - I can’t _not_ walk on it), my age (I’m getting older and not healing as fast) and complications (plantar fasciitis in both feet). > > So I actually work with a pain doctor and we have managed to keep me mostly pain free. I feel sorry for doctors in that profession - they are trying to do the hard work of helping people deal with chronic pain but on one side you have hordes of addicted people trying to fool them into giving out pills, on another side you have police looking for any slip up to swoop in and shut them down, and the feds enacting more & more rules to make their job harder. > > Sadly as a patient you are treated like a criminal and if you are _lucky_ you might be treated as merely a suspect over time. I have to pee in a cup every few visits to make sure I’m not taking other drugs (I don’t), and I have to visit _every month_ to get a prescription. At my specialist copay of $50. Used to be every 3 months but they changed the rules at the end of last year. > > I have managed to reduce the medicine, but I’m still a distance away from stopping altogether. > > **Don’t break your fucking heel bone!** Hi 2gigch1- I 2 weeks ago broke both of my heels, curious how you are doing today?? ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016/59 "2015-05-08T22:01:20Z")
Responded by private message first - Long story short; functioning well, still in pain, will be until I die. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-the-heel-bone-is-a-bad-thing-to-break/581016.md?page=2)