The Risks of Ignoring Foot Fractures

Here at Foot Healers we know it’s tempting to put off seeing a doctor about an injured foot. We’ve heard every excuse:

“I don’t have the time.”

“It doesn’t hurt that bad.”

“It’s fine, I have ice at home.”

And our personal favorite, “I don’t wanna be stuck wearing that darn boot!”.

We get it. It’s a pain (and that’s boots are ugly and inconvenient).

But ignoring even a minor fracture often leads to further injury. Once a stress fracture begins, continued movement of the foot can cause the fracture to grow. If you experience any symptoms, you should schedule an appointment with a podiatrist to diagnose the issue.

Symptoms

Signs of a stress fracture can include pain, swelling, redness and bruising.
Seeing a foot and ankle surgeon as early as possible after an injury will minimize the risk of worsening a fracture and may shorten your recovery time.

Rest, icing and immobilization are often the treatments. (Yes, that might mean rocking one of our fashionable boots).

In the case of a more severe fracture, surgery may be necessary for the injury to heal properly.

Again, schedule an appointment with a Foot Healers podiatrist if you have any of these symptoms.

Treatment

Fractures of the foot can be diagnosed by x-rays or other studies. A foot and ankle surgeon can determine the best treatment course. Rest, icing and immobilization are often the treatments; however, surgery is sometimes necessary to repair the fracture.

Foot Healers has digital x-ray machines at all clinics and all of our doctors are either board certified foot and ankle surgeons or board qualified.

Causes

• Over-training or overuse
• Improper training habits or surfaces
• Improper shoes
• Flatfoot or other foot deformities and osteoporosis

Even if you don’t have a fracture, a podiatrist may identify issues that might lead to problems in the future. Recommendations from a podiatrist will help you reduce pain and avoid future issues.