Q: I am suffering from a simple fracture. I slipped and cracked the bone in my toe (just above the little finger). I have been put a POP and have to remain with it for 3 weeks. I was on bed rest for a day after which I started my household chores. After 5 days, I have now started to come to office too. Can I walk around and work (without giving pressure on the fractured part) or should I be on complete bed rest for 3 weeks. Some people say that if I walk around and work, I might be doing permanent damage to my leg. Please advise. I am 29 years old and have a one-year-old child and I still feeding him. Is the calcium level in my bone less? Should I get it tested? One more concern I have is that the doctor did not find the fracture for the first 4 days, so I continued working without giving pressure on the fractured part. Will this create any problems? I do not have much pain now.

A:First of all, for a little finger fracture there is no need to have any bed rest. In fact, if you walk around and you use your splinted foot, it may encourage healing. Physical activity reduces what is known as fracture disease, which is related to inactivity contributing to stiffness and pain in the joints. Your delay in treatment is unlikely to influence the outcome in your case. A low calcium supplement is possible if you are breast feeding and your intake is inadequate. The best source of calcium, for a vegetarian, is milk. So, if you are not taking milk you will need some supplement. However, calcium deficiency will not contribute to a little toe fracture nor will it effect your healing. Stress fractures associated with low calcium occur at completely different sites. So, stop worrying and continue with your activities.