If you broke a bone in your body, would you know about it? The answer seems to be a definite yes, as we imagine broken bones to be absolute agony. However, there might be tiny hairline fractures and other types of foot injuries that we overlook for some reason.
If your foot is aching after a strenuous workout, you should know the early signs of a foot injury before it’s too late. Here’s how you can determine whether your foot is seriously injured or not:
The Symptoms Say It All
Certain symptoms of a serious foot injury should tell you of its severity. Watch out for foot pain, tenderness, bruising, swelling, issues with walking, deformity, and other such symptoms. A bone jutting out of the foot is also an obvious symptom that you can’t afford to ignore.
Though these are the common symptoms of a foot injury, you shouldn’t do the guesswork without seeing a qualified doctor. That’s why it’s worth visiting the Seaview Ortho for foot and ankle surgery so you can easily find out if your foot is injured.
It Might Be Breaking Or Spraining
Before getting too upset, it’s wise to know the difference between a break and a sprain. The symptoms of both conditions are usually the same, especially if the fracture is tiny. However, a broken foot is likely more painful. You’ll also get more tenderness, swelling, and bruising in such cases.
When your foot was injured, did you hear a popping sound or a cracking one? The former would be a sprain, while the latter is likely to be a break.
Several Tests Will Reveal The Injury
Your doctor may prescribe a series of tests. Imaging tests can be necessary for checking a fracture. Get ready to go for bone scans, X-rays, CT scans, and even an MRI test if the doctor deems it best. The X-ray is the most common method, but it might not be detailed enough to see a stress fracture in your foot. That’s why it becomes necessary to get the other tests as well.
Finding The Cause Behind The Foot Pain
Before you can determine if a foot injury is serious, consider the possible cause behind the pain. In the case of a broken foot, the causes may include a car accident, tripping, falling, impact from a heavyweight, a misstep, or overuse of the foot itself. Any of these occurrences could result in injuries that might require surgical help, a cast, or at least some serious medical attention.
If you’ve recently experienced one or more such incidents, the pain in your foot might be a sign of something major. Also, you need to be more careful about what your foot is telling you if high-impact sports and heavy equipment are a regular part of your routine.
When To See A Doctor
That pain in your foot might not seem like much, especially if you can still get around fairly easily. However, make sure to visit the doctor if certain symptoms come up and don’t abate in a short time. If you don’t have much time for approaching a doctor, you can use ACE Bandage to wrap your foot to get rid of the pain.
If you have a feeling that the foot is broken, or see a stubborn redness in the area, it’s time to get professional help. The same goes for an increase in the pain, tenderness, and/or swelling over time.
The Takeaway
The bones in our feet are vulnerable to fractures, but a less severe one might not be too noticeable. If we have a busy schedule, we might simply ignore the nagging pain until the bone knits itself back. The knitting back here could be imperfect, leading to even more pain and suffering in the future.
Since our feet are so important to us, we should pay special attention to them. It might even be necessary to consult a nearby orthopedic surgeon. Therefore, take a step towards a healthy foot recovery instead of delaying it further.
