You cannot walk off a fractured foot, so do not even try. A fractured foot will cause you pain and drastically limit your mobility.
The pain is simply your foot’s way of telling you that it needs medical attention and some rest. So, have a doctor look at the foot and find out if it is fractured. The worst that could happen is that the doctor will correct the fracture. At the very least, you will get treatment for a hurting foot.
Common signs of a fractured foot
If you still need some convincing, here are some signs that you have a fractured foot:
1. Hearing a snap and feeling pain
A person might know if their foot is broken immediately after the injury happens. If the person hears a snap or a grinding noise, then chances are that their foot is broken. If the patient feels excruciating pain, then they likely have a fractured or broken bone in their foot.
2. A bone that has broken through the skin
A compound fracture happens when a broken bone pierces the flesh and breaks through the skin. If a person has a compound fracture, they should go to the hospital emergency room immediately.
3. A foot that is swollen and can’t bear weight
Fortunately, most fractured feet do not result in a compound fracture. Instead, a person with a broken or fractured bone in their foot will experience the following symptoms:
- Limited movement in the foot
- Swelling and bruising
- The site of the injury will be sore and painful to the touch
- The person will be unable to put weight on the foot
These symptoms show up to a lesser degree with stress fractures, which happen as a result of repeated impact on the heel, ankle or the ball of the foot.
Feet that have stress fractures may not be as swollen or as painful as those with outright breakages, so the person should seek medical attention for their ‘slight’ injury to avoid making the fracture worse.
4. A deformed foot
A sure sign of a broken foot is a toe or an entire foot that is bent at a weird angle. When a person notices that their foot is deformed, they should go to a hospital to get treatment and relief from pain.
Diagnosis, treatment and healing
To determine the extent of the fracture, the doctor will perform a physical exam followed by X-rays or other types of imaging.
Next, they will treat the foot by compression (with the use of a cast or a bandage) or surgery. The course of treatment will depend on the severity and type of fracture. The time it will take for the foot to heal will also depend on how severe the injury is.
Get your foot taken care of
If you are in pain on account of your foot, see a doctor to find out the cause of your problem. Fractured foot or not, when you get timely medical attention, you keep your foot from getting worse.
Do not let yourself or a loved one hobble around on an injured foot. Come see us today and get some relief.
Request an appointment here: https://www.pocatellopodiatry.com or call Ambulatory Foot & Ankle Clinic at (208) 803-0010 for an appointment in our Pocatello office.
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