I was wondering if anyone has ever broken a foot and what was it like? Also when did you know it was broken and when did you seek medical treatment for it?
Yes go get checked out by a foot/ankle ortho. I borked my 5th met (bone that runs along the outside of your foot up to your pinky toe) about 8 years ago. I fell hard and reinsured my ankle after the first surgery. Thought just my ankle was injured until a few hours later when I tried to put weight on it and couldn't and had extreme pain. My husband is a doctor and looked at it and felt I had broken it but I still waited till the next day to be sure before I went. Sure enough, it was broken (ER X-rays were negative but fractures are small and I had a lot of swelling. Break was found by foot/ankle OS with a bone scan). That's one reason we say go to foot/ankle OS, but you might need to go to them ER for immediate treatment and referral. I was on crutches for 6 weeks and had to use a bone stimulator to help it form a union as the area I broke is highly known for not making a union and needing a pin. Thankfully, I avoided that. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
I saw a doctor today. She said it didn't look broken but there might be a small fracture. I have wear a boot cast for a while and use crutches. Still really painful over 24 hours later. The doctor said that if things have not improved in two weeks I might need PT because she thinks it is tissue and ligament damage. My husband didn't want to go to the ER but I kind of wondered if I should have just to really make there wasn't even a small fracture. The said my foot was so bruised and swollen she could not see my bones. I know I'm a doctor but that doesn't sound great.
It is very normal for your foot to be so swollen they can't be sure if there's a fracture or not after a traumatic injury such as the one you sustained. As I said in my last post, same thing happened to me and they did a bone scan to find out sooner than later because of the place where my fracture was. It could be that you have soft tissue damage and no fracture, but I wouldn't rule a fracture out yet. Where again is the pain? Mid foot? Was wondering if it might be a LisFranc sprain/injury. Keep it elevated and iced, iced, iced to get that swelling down, decrease inflammation and pain. Glad you have a boot for immobilization and crutches since it's so painful to bear weight. You don't need to bear weight until fracture can be ruled out and another diagnosis made. Hope you feel better and get a little more comfortable with the boot. Pain going down any? Did they give you anything for pain?
The pain is in the middle of the foot. Extremely painful. I can't even apply pressure. When I fell I did it 4 houses down from my own and I had to call for husband to come pick me up and put me in the car because I couldn't move. Even 12 + hours after it happened I would be in so much pain that even trying to walk on my heel would cause me to cry and I have a high pain tolerance. The doctor never actually examined my foot except to take a quick look to tell me that it was really bruised and swollen. I would have thought she would have checked to see what I could do in terms of movement. I never broken anything before so I don't know the protocol.
The GP said that I just have to wear a boot cast for two weeks and check back after to see how my foot is. I have to remain completely off it until then. I am wearing an air boot cast. I don't know if that is more common now than a regular cast. This should be very interesting since I have a newborn..
Is this a stress fracture or a full break? If you've got a complete break, I'd see a foot and ankle ortho. For a stress fracture, just staying off it is about all you can do.
A year ago I broke the sesamoid bone in my right foot. I wore a boot for about 3 months. I also got a knee scooter so that I would be off my foot as much as possible. I did get a bone stimulator and used it daily although I don't know if it did anything. I am a runner and was able to return to running slowly within about 4 or 5 months. I did go to a foot and ankle specialist. Hope you heal soon!
The Following User Says Thank You to artjen For This Useful Post: PrincessPotato (06-07-2012)
I figured you had a fracture with inability to put ANY weight on it and that much pain, swelling and bruising. Identical to my symptoms. I agree that you should see a foot/ankle OS if it's a full break. Didn't know you had a newborn. So sorry, that will be hard! Crutches and knee scooter still hard with a baby.
Sorry about your foot but glad for quick diagnosis. I have one broken bone (stress fracture) and have been in air cast for 5 weeks now with 2 more to go. Was checked at 4 weeks and healing but not yet fully healed.
I actually found the air cast quite comfortable in the acute phase when I was in lots of pain so I hope that's true for you. My dr prescribed a prescription gel for pain and swelling and that helped enormously. He's a foot/ankle ortho. Still have some other damage so surgery may be in picture but only after bone heals.
all the best!
