Ever seen somebody in the shopping centre, hobbling along with the help of crutches, or wearing a moon boot? Chances are, they’re recovering from a foot fracture.
Participating in sports and physical activity is one of the most common causes of foot fractures – think football, netball and pickleball, as well as activities such as jogging, gymnastics and dancing. No wonder there’s a whole branch of our profession, dedicated to sports podiatry!
However even if you’re not into sports, you could still sustain a painful foot fracture, for example:
- in a car accident;
- falling from a great height;
- or even after a simple stumble.
And some trivia for you:
- men tend to be more often affected by foot fractures, than women (even though women are more likely to wear high heels);
- famous footballers who have suffered foot fractures include David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Mitch Moses, Kalyn Ponga and Nathan Cleary.
Is it a Sneaky Stress Fracture?
Other times, you may not even realise you have a foot fracture, because it isn’t related to a sudden injury.
Known as “stress fractures”, these tiny cracks in the bone are caused by overuse over long periods of time – and unlike a traditional fracture, there may be no obvious accident or trauma that triggers the pain. Instead, you might notice:
- Foot pain that worsens with activity and improves with rest;
- Tenderness when pressing on a certain area of your foot;
- Swelling around the painful area;
- Pain that gradually becomes more severe over time.
Continuing to run, play sport or exercise with a foot fracture can make things worse, and significantly delay your recovery, so pay attention to any foot pain even if you haven’t sustained an injury.
First Aid for a Foot Fracture
If you are experiencing foot pain or swelling, the first step is to follow the well known R.I.C.E. formula:
- R – Rest your foot;
- I – Place an ice pack on the swollen or painful area (make sure you wrap it first, you don’t want to complicate things by causing a freezer burn!);
- C – Compression using a light compression bandage to minimise any swelling;
- E – Elevation – put your feet up – literally!
Over the counter pain killers may also provide relief.
However if the pain and/or swelling don’t start to settle within a couple of days, it’s a good idea to book an appointment with a podiatrist.
Why See a Podiatrist for a Fractured Foot
Podiatrists are the foot care professionals, undertaking four years of training so that they can provide expert diagnosis, treatment and management of all concerns relating to the feet – toes, ankles, toenails, heels and lower limbs.
In order to practice, they must also be registered, which entails keeping up to date on all the latest developments in the foot care field – including the treatment of foot fractures, sprained ankles and the like.
Sadly, we often see patients at our podiatry clinic, who have already visited a GP or physiotherapist regarding a foot injury, but have not received the correct diagnosis. Often this is because they were never sent for an x-ray, which would have revealed that a foot fracture was present.
You do not require a referral to visit a podiatry clinic, and just like a GP, we can give you a referral for an x-ray to determine if you do have a foot fracture. Currently there are no out of pocket expenses for these x-rays, as they are covered by Medicare.
Treatment and Recovery
Because the symptoms are shared with several other foot conditions such as plantar fasciitis, sesamoiditis, or even a simple strain, it’s important to get a proper diagnosis from a podiatrist so that the correct treatment may be prescribed for your broken bone – whether it’s in your ankle, toe or anywhere in between.
Treatment usually involves immobilising the affected foot, and keeping it stable – hence the crutches and moon boot mentioned earlier. Occasionally a more serious fracture may require a referral to an orthopaedic surgeon, for an operation to insert a pin or plate to hold bone together.
You can expect recovery to take 6 to 8 weeks; obviously this will be a lot longer if surgery is required. As part of the process you may be prescribed exercises or physical therapy to help strengthen the affected foot once it has healed.
If you suspect that you may have a foot fracture, or just want some advice on another aspect of foot care or injuries, call us today on 3207 4736 – we’ll get you running around again in no time!