Broken toe pain?

[HankC]

I believe I broke a toe a few weeks back. I have had that happen before and just kept up my running and it healed. I did that again this time. For the first week and a half it was generally pain free. But then it got painful. There was also other odd pain in the sole of the same foot. Given the new pain that had no basis I assumed TMS? Also, given the toe did not hurt at first I am assuming the new pain might also be. Thoughts?

I see some posts about an acronym for pain that has basis in an injury but doesn't seem to go away.

 

[JanAtheCPA]

Hi there @HankC - I'm afraid that no one here can (or should) provide a diagnosis of TMS unless we are well-assured that medical advice has been obtained and that medical treatment is either not offered ("they can't find anything wrong") or it's vague and not guaranteed to work (eg steroid shots, back surgery).

Reminder to everyone: there is a disclaimer to this effect on every page!

Mind you, TMS knowledge and skills can certainly enhance recovery from injuries, so you are of course free to do this on your own, and you can easily peruse our Success Stories subforum for information and inspiration --- but imo, having broken a number of bones and seriously torn a couple of ligaments throughout my life (alwats loved being active, bit of a klutz) I firmly believe that some injuries should always be seen by the experts.

 

[Ted the Old]

Hi there @HankC - I'm afraid that no one here can (or should) provide a diagnosis of TMS unless we are well-assured that medical advice has been obtained and that medical treatment is either not offered ("they can't find anything wrong") or it's vague and not guaranteed to work (eg steroid shots, back surgery).

Reminder to everyone: there is a disclaimer to this effect on every page!

Mind you, TMS knowledge and skills can certainly enhance recovery from injuries, so you are of course free to do this on your own, and you can easily peruse our Success Stories subforum for information and inspiration --- but imo, having broken a number of bones and seriously torn a couple of ligaments throughout my life (alwats loved being active, bit of a klutz) I firmly believe that some injuries should always be seen by the experts.

 

[Ted the Old]

This is actually Hank C. I guess I have different logins on my phone and computer. I understand no one here can provide medical advice. I guess I’m more asking if anyone has had similar issues.

For what it is worth I live near Dr Schubiner and have seen him professionally several times over the last 6 or 7 years. I’m just trying to work through things using tools he taught me when evaluating pain.

 

[Louise D]

@HankC, I would just add that I have broken the same toe at least twice (I suspect a third time, but I'm not sure). The last break was much worse than the first (or first and second). I had to wear a special shoe that would protect it and prevent me from moving it inappropriately during the healing process. The podiatrist was quite concerned that the alignment of the break not be disturbed.

I realize that TMS could explain the pain in the sole of the same foot, but so could your foot compensating for the broken toe. I have had TMS that has expressed itself in different areas of my body, but I have also had injuries that resulted in the body compensating for the temporary weakness in a way that results in a new issue. For example, when I sprained the big toe on my right foot (almost broke it), the limping and guarding of that area caused my back to hurt. Not really a TMS thing going on, just moving in a different way. You may not be able to detect yourself moving differently, but your foot could be compensating in a way that changes your footfall even subtly and irritates the sole of your foot. At any rate, if I were in your shoes, I would at least consider an appointment where you could get x-rays to make sure that everything healed appropriately.

We also heal from injury less efficiently as we age. I don't know how long it has been since the break that healed while you continued to run, but as the years go by, what worked in the past, may not work now.