07/23/2026
OrthoNebraska Podiatrist Dr. Andrew Stanislav addresses the common misconception that there’s nothing that can be done but wait when you break a bone in your foot — and that if you can walk, you’re totally fine.
Video transcript
It’s Dr. Stanislav, podiatrist with OrthoNebraska, talking about the myth that if you can walk, your foot is not broken.
So that’s actually not true.
The foot’s a complex structure. There’s 26 bones that make up each of the feet, so therefore there’s lots of bones that can be broken.
We see lots of different fracture patterns with the foot, whether it’s someone who drops a heavy object on their foot or whether it’s an athlete who just twists or turns wrong and breaks their foot.
We also see a pattern where people come in with swelling and pain on top of the foot for a few weeks. They’ve got what’s called a stress fracture, which is just repetitive stress in the bone.
Those individuals can walk with a broken bone. We will many times have to take an X-ray to confirm that, and there’s ways we can treat that broken bone.
But absolutely, patients come in all the time with a bone that’s broken, and we treat that accordingly.
If you’re someone who’s had a broken bone or suspects that they’ve got a broken bone, please do not hesitate to contact us at OrthoNebraska.
