There will inevitably come a time in your life when your feet cannot handle the stress that they are enduring. Perhaps you’ve been wearing the same pair of shoes day after day, perhaps your shoes haven’t been broken in properly, or perhaps you’ve just overexerted them during an intense workout at the gym.
In any case, you might end up suffering from a minor injury to the feet and ankles that requires immediate attention from a podiatrist. If you find yourself with a sprained ankle or some other minor foot injury, it is important to know what steps to take. A sprained ankle can be extremely painful and leave you unable to walk for several days without crutches or something similar to assist you. However, with help from this article and quick action on your part, it is possible to recover from a sprain sooner than later and get back to your regular activities in no time.
Check for Broken Bones
If you’ve sustained a serious foot injury, such as a fracture in one of your bones, the first thing that you need to do is seek professional help. Broken bones can and should be treated as soon as possible in order to prevent them from needing surgery later on. A broken bone can be extremely painful and if left untreated can result in the loss of muscle mass around the affected bone.
If you are unsure about what type of pain in your feet is normal and what does indicate a serious injury, then it would be a great idea to consult a foot doctor or podiatrist beforehand. This way, you will be able to ask whether or not the pain that you’re experiencing is normal for your feet and ankles and what you should do about it if it isn’t. The doctor or podiatrist can also let you know whether or not you have any broken bones or whether the pain you’re feeling is due to a sprain or some other common foot or ankle injury.
Know the Signs of a Serious Foot Injury
If you’ve had an accident and ended up injuring one or both of your feet, you will also want to be aware of the signs of a serious foot injury that require immediate attention. Some of these signs include an inability to walk without assistance, sharp pain accompanied by swelling, a deformity of the foot or toes, and blood coming from your foot if the cut is deep enough. If you’re unsure whether or not your foot injury is serious enough to warrant a trip to the hospital, there are a couple of ways to find out.
The first would be to evaluate your pain and its intensity. If the pain is unbearable and prevents you from walking, then it is definitely serious enough to warrant a doctor’s attention. Additionally, if the pain is accompanied by a deformity or swelling in the foot or toes, then it would also be a good idea to visit the doctor or podiatrist because this could indicate a broken bone.
Go to the Doctor or Podiatrist Right Away
As soon as you notice any signs of discomfort or pain in your feet, you should immediately seek help from a board-certified podiatrist. If you wait too long, then the injury may turn into something more serious, such as a sprain or broken bone. The longer you delay visiting the doctor or podiatrist, the longer it will take for you to recover from your injury and return to your regular activities. If you suspect that you have sustained a serious foot injury, such as a broken bone, it is important that you visit the doctor or podiatrist immediately. Once you’ve been seen by a medical professional, you can rest assured that you’ll have a clear path to recovery and will be able to return to your daily life as quickly as possible.
Get a Solid Shoe Recommendation
If you’ve sprained your foot or sustained any other type of foot injury, it would be a great idea to visit a podiatrist. A podiatrist can examine your feet and let you know what type of shoe you should wear from now on. A podiatrist can also let you know whether or not you need a special type of shoe for your injury or if you’re just fine with wearing your regular pair of shoes.
If your injury was serious enough to visit the doctor or podiatrist, then you should certainly get a shoe recommendation. You don’t want to end up injuring the foot again because you’re wearing the wrong pair of shoes and don’t know how to properly break them in. In addition, if you got a special shoe recommendation from the doctor or podiatrist, then you know that they take your injury seriously and you’ll be more likely to recover quickly as a result.
Learn From the Experience
If you’ve been in a serious accident, sprained your foot, or sustained an injury to one of your feet, it is important that you learn from the experience. You should ask yourself what happened and how you ended up injuring your foot. If you were wearing the wrong shoes when you sustained the injury, then you should definitely switch to a different pair. If you’ve been wearing the same pair of shoes for too long, then you should try to rotate your shoes every once in a while and wear different pairs at different times. You should also take time to properly break in your new pairs of shoes. This will help to reduce the amount of strain that your feet have to endure and will reduce the risk of sustaining an injury such as a sprained ankle.
Conclusion
When you’re injured, it’s easy to panic and forget what you’re supposed to do next. Thankfully, this article can act as a guide to help you recover from a foot injury as quickly as possible. Make sure to check for broken bones, go to the doctor or podiatrist right away if you’ve sustained a serious foot injury, ice and elevate as soon as possible, get a solid shoe recommendation, and learn from the experience so that it doesn’t happen again.