How do I know if my foot injury is serious?

You should make a doctor’s appointment after a foot injury if:

1. you feel pain in your foot for most of the day and it’s been a few weeks since your injury.
2. you have swelling that isn’t getting better two to five days after your injury.
3. you feel tingling, numbness, or burning pain—especially in the bottom of your foot.

How do I reduce swelling in my foot after injury?

Treatment

1. Rest: Stay off the foot or ankle.
2. Ice: Apply an ice pack to the injured area, placing a thin towel between the ice and the skin.
3. Compression: An elastic wrap should be used to control swelling.
4. Elevation: The foot or ankle should be raised slightly above the level of your heart to reduce swelling.

How long does swelling last after foot injury?

What to Expect: Pain and swelling most often get better 2 to 3 days after an injury. Swelling is most often gone in 7 days. Pain may take 2 weeks to go away.

How do you tell if your foot is broken or just bruised?

In general, a broken foot tends to be more painful than a sprained foot, and the pain lasts longer. Bruising, swelling, and tenderness are also more severe if your foot is broken. Another way to tell the difference between a broken foot and sprained foot is the sound the body makes when the injury occurs.

Can you wiggle your toes if your foot is broken?

Compound fractures are severe and require immediate medical attention. Loss of Mobility – If you can ‘t say where any of them are broken, wiggle your fingers or toes. If doing so happens to be difficult or painful, you may have a break above that point.

What does a foot fracture feel like?

Pain that occurs and intensifies during normal, daily activities. Swelling on the top of the foot or on the outside of the ankle. Tenderness to touch at the site of the fracture. Possible bruising.

Should you wrap a swollen foot?

Compression, or wrapping the injured or sore area with an elastic bandage (such as an Ace wrap ), will help decrease swelling. Don’t wrap it too tightly, because this can cause more swelling below the affected area. Loosen the bandage if it gets too tight.

How long does it take for swelling to go down after an injury?

Typically, we will see edema go down about two weeks after an injury or surgery. However, for some people, it may take months [1]. For those who are continuing to see edema, their therapist may recommend treatments to help decrease and prevent additional swelling.

How do I get swelling to go down fast?

Some of the more common ways to reduce facial swelling include:

1. Getting more rest.
2. Increasing your water and fluid intake.
3. Applying a cold compress to the swollen area.
4. Applying a warm compress to promote the movement of fluid buildup.

What happens if you walk on a broken foot too soon?

Until you see a doctor for a diagnosis and treatment plan, you should not walk on a suspected broken foot, because walking on a broken foot too soon could cause more damage to the foot.

How long does a bruised foot heal?

It generally takes about two weeks for a bruise to resolve completely. In some cases, your foot may feel as though it has a bruise. It may be tender or swollen, but there’ll be no discoloration.

Can’t bend foot up after injury?

If you had an injury to your foot or ankle, and now can’t move it, you may have a broken bone or a bad sprain. A ruptured Achilles tendon could also cause pain and make it difficult to bend your foot down. That can also be caused by an injury.

Can you break a metatarsal and still walk?

People sometimes say that it isn’t possible to walk on a broken foot but this is not correct. Whether you can walk on a broken foot depends on which bone is broken (and whereabouts along its length), whether the fracture is displaced, how supportive your shoes are, and your personal tolerance to pain.

Can you walk on a hairline fracture?

Medical treatments. Your doctor may recommend that you use crutches to keep weight off an injured foot or leg. You can also wear protective footwear or a cast. Because it usually takes up to six to eight weeks to completely heal from a hairline fracture, it’s important to modify your activities during that time.

What happens if a broken bone is left untreated?

When a bone fracture is untreated, it can result in either a nonunion or a delayed union. In the former case, the bone doesn’t heal at all, which means that it will remain broken. As a result, swelling, tenderness, and pain will continue to worsen over time.