I was diagnosed with a periostitis a month ago. I was running and suddenly felt as if my muscle had stretched to the point of breakage. I kept on walking (and sort of massaging the soleus muscle because I thought I had injured it whilst overworking it) until one day, I just couldn’t walk anymore. After going to the ER and getting an x-ray done, the doctor told me that I had in fact broken the most exterior part of my tibia bone and hence, that there was a large accumulation of liquid separating it from the most interior part of the bone. I had a cast on for one week, as the doctor wanted to immobilize my leg but not for a long period of time, as I have vasculitis and this could end up in thrombosis. Long story short, the doctor prescribed 10 physiotherapy sessions. I am now on my 6th session and still have major inflammation and pain. The specialists tell me that this lack of progress in my recovery seems to be due to my lupus. My body is not cooperating on this recovery and I honestly fear that this injury will become chronic. Has this happened to anyone? What is there to do (if anything) aside from being relatively sedentary, going to my physiotherapy sessions and occasional ice packs to reduce inflammation?
I hope everyone is doing well. Xx
M*
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MerB90
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This sounds miserable and worrying, but it may resolve. I had a stress fracture in my lower spine several months ago and had to wear a large bulky brace, supposedly for six weeks. It took about two and a half times that long. Judging by your photo, I am much older but the doctor's estimate of the healing time likely to my age into consideration. Lupus does seem to complicate healing. The good news is that it did heal completely. BTW, the orthopedist I saw told me not to go to physical therapy because he thought it might inflame the newly healed bone -- of course my injury was very different. Good luck with this. I hope you feel better soon.
I’ve had a somewhat similar experience, and, @ 65 i suspect i’m even older, but my SLE was infant onset & went inadequately medicated until my late 50s...even once had been on effective combined meds, fractures in my extremities (hand, foot) took longer to heal “than expected”...and xray+MRI imaging revealed significant bone issues - oedema, cysts etc etc. Of course, i was wandering around with these really serious ‘closed’ fractures, not realising they’d happened...just thinking my AID/CTD stuff was acting up
And most recently rheumatology’s advanced ‘VFA by DXA’ full spine scan found grade 2 fractures at L1, 2 & 5 which had been complicating & exacerbating my hEDS lumbar scoliosis + lumbo/sacral instability & facet joint issues. I was wearing lumbo-sacral braces all the time for 3 years (the flexible type at first, but then a year of full-on bulky rigid) at first ....before neurosurgery’s diagnostic lumbar block qualified me for the posterior instrumented fusion & formainotomy (L4/5)....which involved a lot of bone drilling & carving including to 1 of my factured vertebrae) i had in june
am recovering v slowly from this spine surgery now (in someone without my underlying comorbidities, recovery is much faster than the 12+ months i’m warned to expect....bearing in mind my 3rd primary is a bone marrow dysfuntion disease (a CVID type of Primary Immunodeficiency Disease)). But, hey, my hyperreactiins/allergy to analgesics meant i have (apparently incredibly) been recovering post op without any prescrip analgesics and all my medics are showering me with praise for how well i’m doing 🤷🏼♀️
In my case, yes, recovery is about very cautious common sense sedentary sort of lifestyle + advice from senior physios expert in hEDS, ESP diagnostic + orthopaedics inc re weight bearing exercise + 10% NSAID gel + various other 1st line self help stuff like cool /heat packs etc + rheumatology’s AID combined therapy meds (eg daily pred & myco especially have helped with inflammation etc related to my fractures) & immunology’s PID meds (eg am on 3-weekly IVIG)
Glad you posted, mer. Sorry for the lonnnng reply. This isn’t a topic we’ve discussed much here over my 8 years on forum...and i’m now realising just how v important it is! Take care...hope you’ll let us know how you get on
Hi Coco, I just about teared up with your illness history. It sounds like you've had very rough years and I truly hope you're starting to feel somewhat well. I am starting to understand that lupus is part of my life and thus, I must find a way to listen to my body better (I tend to be hyper active and so a sedentary lifestyle is truly hard for me to follow). I recently got very depressed, as I am used to running every single day and with this bone injury, it just isn't possible. It may sound like I am over exaggerating, but physical activity is very important to me and my mental well being. I am applying diclofenac cream on the lesion area, ice packs and now after Paloma's post, evaluationg whether physiotherapy is actually a good option for me.
Thank you so so much for your reply and I wish you all the best. Xx
You are such a dear! & You’re totally welcome. I just about teared up reading your post (your fractures are much more severe & involved than mine) + these 2 replies to me & dear paloma. as much as another can, am v much relating to what you’re going through, cause i’m a physically & mentally hyper active type too who needs physical activity for well-being in all dimensions...i do totally agree with you both...and my 2 senior physios do too: avoid anything that gives a pain response...go v gently & cautiously...little by little things will improve XO
Hi Paloma, thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I am sorry to hear about your fracture, it sounds very painful! I've read that indeed, lupus complicates things, but it gives me hope to read that although slower than normal, I will heal. You might be right about physical therapy not being my best alternative. I am seeing a bout of inflammation ever since I started treatment. Maybe magnetic or ultrasound therapy would be best in this case? Again, thank you so much for taking the time. I hope you're feeling better. Not only with your fracture but with your lupus in general. xx
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