reasoning w/ someone to rest an injury

[Gary_Yngve]

My dad's been fighting a hairline fracture in his ankle for the past few months. Basically he's been resting it until the pain goes down enough (a few days), running ten miles, having it swell up, limping for a few days, resting a few more days, and repeating. Obviously the bone hasn't healed.

 

I'm sure he doesn't want to keep off of it for a full month, but that might be what he has to do. Any advice on how to deal with this stubbornness?

[savaiusini]

I don't know how old your dad is vs. how old he thinks he is, but I doubt his fracture will heal very well if he keeps punishing his body. Not giving it time to heal properly could also lead to painful arthritis later in life. I'm pretty stubborn myself, but when it comes to recovering from an injury, I simply will not knowingly beat on my body while I'm healing. That said, you can't force him to do anything that he doesn't want to do. If you haven't already, let him know you're worried about the long term consequences and that you would hate to see this injury interfere with his activity later in life.

[Greg_W]

Any advice on how to deal with this stubbornness?

 

Yeah, mind your own fucking business. He's a grown-up, he can make his own decisions. Sure, he's your dad and you don't want him to further injure himself, but at some point you have to step out of it. You'll have plenty of time to make decisions for him and tell him what to do when he's about 80.

[matt_warfield]

The first time somebody ignores a nagging injury and it turns into a chronic condition and he/she has to take months off of an activity to recover, they generally become less stubborn about attending to such things initially. Unfortunately, sometimes a person needs to experience such a situation to actually believe that it can happen to them and that there are far worse things than a few weeks of rest and healing.

[Jim]

Might suggest alternative exercise regime, particulary swimming or using the aqua-jogger while he heals up. While not as much fun as a run outside you can keep in pretty good shape this way without hammering the joints. I do this when I tweak something or in the winter when daylight and rain make outside less inviting.

[Stefan]

My dad's been fighting a hairline fracture in his ankle for the past few months. Basically he's been resting it until the pain goes down enough (a few days), running ten miles, having it swell up, limping for a few days, resting a few more days, and repeating. Obviously the bone hasn't healed.

 

I'm sure he doesn't want to keep off of it for a full month, but that might be what he has to do. Any advice on how to deal with this stubbornness?

 

Get your mother on your side and have her withhold sex from your father if he does not rest. If he is resting, then tell your mother to have as much sex as your father wants to reinforce the behavior.

 

If they do not have sex often, then tell your mother to start making his favorite meals ALL THE TIME if he stays off of his feet.

 

If you are not influencing your father, then your mother might be second best.

[Gaper_Jeffy]

My dad's been fighting a hairline fracture in his ankle for the past few months. Basically he's been resting it until the pain goes down enough (a few days), running ten miles, having it swell up, limping for a few days, resting a few more days, and repeating. Obviously the bone hasn't healed.

 

Was the hairline fracture diagnosed via a bonescan? If he has such a fracture and he continues to push it he'll completely fuck himself. Have him see an Ortho immediately, then call the Ortho before his appt to tell him to scare the shit out of your dad.

[JensHolsten]

I can relate with your dad Gary.I chipped my talus and sprained the shit out of my ankle at the end of july. I started climbing about three weeks ago even though it is swollen and painful still. I know, I am an idiot, but I dunno, gotta get the fix. I always tell myself I will rest it, but when someone asks me to go out, the word Ok slips from my mouth before I know it. I am trying to mellow out, I really am.

[j_b]

that is imo the most difficult issue to address when dealing with an overuse injury (which airline fractures often are). doctors and therapists often ignore that exercise becomes psychologically necessary for people who make physical activity a regular part of their lives. just telling people to lay off is not very productive if they are obsessive about the activity that caused the injury (lots of climbers know the feeling). jim makes good suggestions, perhaps bicycling would get his mind off running temporarily and allow him to heal?