Hi, I broke the 5th metatarsal in my left foot 7 weeks ago while on holiday. I was in a cast for 6 weeks and told that I could put weight on my foot, but that I should let the pain guide me. I never really had any pain while in the cast. The cast has now been taken off (1 week ago) and, although I can walk, it hurts (not a lot though). Sometimes it hurts in the area where it was broken, but sometimes also other areas of my foot will start hurting. Last night my foot was a little swollen (again, not a lot) and today I noticed pins and needles (on and off) in my foot for the first time. Is all of this normal? Why is my foot hurting? Can I continue walking on my foot (I walk for about 40 min per day)? The doctor that examined me after the cast came off is German (we're living in Germany for a while) and my German is not that good, but I think he said my bones healed out of alignment. Is that possible? I'm not sure what to do. The doctor that put the cast on while on holiday said I might need an operation later on to remove a piece of bone that had broken off. Does this mean I had an avulsion fracture? Will this operation be necessary? The doctor that took the cast off said I could benefit from physio. Will this perhaps help with the pain? Please help! I can send my x-rays if you tell me how. Thanks! Natalie (32 years)