Sorry you’re experiencing this. Since you have a history of falling, you definitely need to be careful going foward. Have you had a bone density scan done lately?

I really feel for you. Hopefully you will get through this and it wont happen again. Too bad to ruin a vacation in Scotland. I love Scotland.

Perhaps you could contact your NP and get a referral for an exercise consult. This might be better than just doing random strength exercise. and an approved schedule of exercises and suggested weights might help prevent injuries.

jrb451, yes, a couple years ago. I do have a history of osteopenia. I now usually carry my cell phone when I go work out in the garden, just in case.

I turned my ankle walking down a single step. The pain that shot through me was like no other.

Luckily my daughter was home and helped me get to the doctor. It was a tiny fracture, and like you, I was able to just let it hee.

i also tore a tendon that took two years to heal, wearing a velcro support.

i went to physical therapy and still the strengthening exercises. you need to start doing exercises to strengthen ankle, foot , leg and work on balance. You should not keep falling.

kaths—that the fracture was not immediately discernible suggest that it might have been a small hairline fracture or chip that will heal quickly.

Perhaps you should wait for the fracture to heal before beginning any exercise regimen. Consult with your local doctor, of course.

People can experience a lot of pain even without a fracture. Some people can sustain fractures an not have any complaints..

I hope you are on your way to a complete and uneventful recovery, kaths.

Very sorry to hear about your injury. Please take it easy for a while.

I hope you feel better.

I'm not confident from what you've said that you're received competent medical care. Was your most recent x-ray read by a radiologist, reviewed by an MD?

Nurse practitioners are fine at doing what they're told and simple, repetitive tasks but reading images (if so) and diagnosing/treating orthopedic injuries are well beyond what they are capable of.

eld6161, I have a weak ankle and should have taken my ankle support with me. Not sure it would've prevented my fall but it might have. I was stupidly looking up at the buildings and trying to walk on cobblestone at the same time. I always wear the support when I go hiking or long walks on uneven ground. I sprained that ankle some years ago and then had to walk on it while working on a med-surg floor. It was finally the reason I changed jobs to an office job. It's never been the same. I do have the bands from physical therapy but haven't used them in a years.

Elmer, yes, the latest x-ray was read by a radiologist. The first one was also, only it was delayed and I was no longer in Edinburgh when that happened. There isn't much they can do for a small fracture like that, just treat the pain. I have been doing some range-of-motion exercises since it happened, as much as I can tolerate anyway.

I think the pain is returning. I took my last dose of prednisone yesterday. I may call my clinic tomorrow.

Try to see an orthopedist if you can. I hope you get it resolved.

Definitely see an orthopedist. And going forward, can you join the YMCA and participate in water fitness classes? Perfect exercise with no pressure on the joints.

I intended no insult Nurse practitioners are not medical doctors. It is what it is. Were it not for the shortage of medical doctors, the ranks of NPs and PAs would be substantially smaller

To become a medical doctor requires completion of many years of education after a BA/BS, succeeding in passing through a very selective sieve that most wanting to do fail to do, and then completion of medical school and training. Better training programs are quite difficult to get accepted to and that's based in part on getting higher board scores than peers. You'd think the competition would end after med school admission but it doesn't. It's often another 10 years or more in total post-bachelors.

To become a NP in my state requires a BN (which programs are not competitive to gain admission to), and then another one or two after that in programs that similarly are not competitive or difficult to gain admission for.

When I have a medical issue, my insurance pays fully for me to be seen and treated by qualified MDs. Why would I settle for less, seeing someone with substantially less education and training and whose conduct as a result is limited by law. Others can go in whatever direction they want.

If you have an important legal matter you need advice and action for, have it handled by a good lawyer. Not a paralegal. Direct parallel.

Elmer, in California (the state in which you and I both live) allows Nurse Practitioners to practice on their own. They don't have to be under the supervision of an M.D., although most are. Physician Assistants, on the other hand, must work under the supervision of an M.D.

lindsey, is there something in what I said as far as the shorter and less rigorous length and nature of training, and legal limits on what's allowed, that's incorrect?

I am sorry to hear that you fractured your shoulder when you fell. I hope you get some pain relief. Like you, I used to fall all the time when I was a teenager. Mine was from balance because I suffered dizziness. Even now I am a fall risk because of my weak knee from when I broke it and now from osteoarthritis and from my fractured back. I have to use a cane for support and can't walk any distance without support. I need to get some core strength so thinking I might join a gym. I miss walking more than anything.

"Nurse practitioners are fine at doing what they're told and simple, repetitive tasks but reading images (if so) and diagnosing/treating orthopedic injuries are well beyond what they are capable of."

By your way of thinking, exhibited in the quoted material, an M.D. specializing in dermatology or ophthalmology is more qualified than a nurse practitioner when it comes to "reading images ... and diagnosing/treating orthopedic injuries" even if the nurse practitioner sees hundreds more orthopedic injuries a year than any dermatologist or ophthalmologist.

Elmer, you are misinformed. First of all, there is no BN degree, it is BSN which is Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Admission to nursing school, at any level, is very competitive and has been for quite a few years as there is recognized value in a major that leads to a well paid job and an abundance of job openings. Nurses frequently get very little recognition and respect for their work from the public and as a bedside hospital nurse myself, I would ask that you educate yourself before casting such wide net of misinformation and disrespect.

Letters used in a degree program are of little relevance. I looked at three schools - one was a BSN, two were BS. As for BS, there are many 2 year AA programs at community colleges in my state that lead to qualification to become an RN. I realize that's not what was being discussed, but that puts RNs on a par with fire fighters and general contractors. Not chopped liver but please. The academic rigor, achievement and competition necessary for admission and success in these programs doesn't approach what successful medical school applicants have to attain.

I think I'm well informed. Nurses have an important role in healthcare but don't elevate them to Mother Theresa healing status. Many are very good, many are not - same is true for docs. Nurses are essential and support the main providers of health care, which would be physicians.

I'll ask you as I asked Lindsey, is there something in what I've said that's grossly inaccurate or misleading?

If you are still having significant pain perhaps a shoulder immobilizer or sling & swathe, worn for a week or two might help. Depends on exactly where the fracture it. Ask an ortho.

I've never heard of giving prednisone for an acute fracture.

Even NSAIDS are now suggested to be avoided because some good studies indicate that they may interfere with good healing.

I've had 3 accidents that resulted in fractures, all missed by the radiologist doing the final read, and all quickly spotted by the orthopedist. The first resulted in a cast (which relieved the pain amazingly). The second in being on "light duty" (ie paperwork) for weeks. The last in a boot and crutches.

Raee, the predinsone decreases inflammation, which decreases pain. I wasn't diagnosed with a fracture when that was prescribed. The radiologist here didn't even see the fracture, so I'm assuming it has healed already. It's obvious I damaged something else in my arm when I fell, which is causing the pain.

Sorry for your pain, Kath. Do ask about bone strengthing supplements as well as exercises. Sadly, the steroids that help us also eat our bones!

DH has just been started on a weekly bone strengthener. I'm getting an infused one every three months. Both are well tolerated, but we should have been taking them before we were in our eighties.

I'm so sorry about the fracture and resulting pain. I hope you can get complete relief soon.

Sorry this has turned into an "Argue with Elmer" thread, instead of sticking to the original subject.

Thanks woodrose. If you'll take a quick gander at comments above, I offered my views about her medical issue initially and nothing more, as others did and do. I didn't start an argument. I also didn't turn away from those who did.