Have you ever fractured your toe and been told:
This is one of the worst things you can do for a fracture.
Stubbing your toe can be one of the most painful experiences, you might be lucky and have no damage, however, this is not always the case.
There are many types of fractures, today we are here to talk about stress fractures to the foot. Over our many years of experience we have seen some of the best and worst things a patient can do once this happens.
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So, what is a stress fracture?
A stress fracture is a small crack within a bone. A quarter of all your bones are in your feet! The average foot consists of 26 bones each… that’s a lot of bones that have the potential to fracture.
The most common bones to fracture within your foot is the 2nd or 3rd metatarsal, this is because they are thinner and experience the most impact when pushing off to walk or run. Usually a stress fracture is caused by repeated stress such as jumping, running or trauma such as dropping or knocking against a hard object.
You’ve hurt your foot… now what?
Unsure how severe your injury is? You think it might be fractured but not sure? If in doubt, book in to see a podiatrist for an assessment. Below are signs or symptoms of a fracture to look out for.
Signs & symptoms
- Swelling or bruising
- Pain or tenderness to injured area
- Numbness or tingling
- Unable to weight-bear without pain, worse when hopping on affected limb
- Pain that begins whilst undertaking an activity then resolves with rest (or does not cease even after rest)
Oh no! I think I have fractured a bone in my foot.
Your general practitioner or local podiatrist (referral not required) are both able to undertake a physical examination and send you off for an x-ray to confirm a stress fracture. Once confirmed treatment options can be explored.
Treatment
These are some treatments to begin as soon you’ve injured yourself to limit further damage:
- Cease all activity that is increasing your pain
- Rest the area as much as possible
- Ice the injured area with an ice pack (approximately 10-15 minutes at a time)
Once your stress fracture is diagnosed, your podiatrist will create a tailored treatment plan depending on the damage caused and your daily activities, this may include:
- Taping techniques to minimise any movement
- Controlled ankle movement (CAM) Walker
- Brace and/or crutches
- Assessment of current footwear and recommendation for your activity type
- A flexible insert such as an orthotic may be advisable once the fracture has healed to reduce tensile strain.
- Targeted stretching and strengthening program following the healing phase to get your muscles back to their full potential.
WORST things you can do for a fractured bone in the foot
- Leave your foot as it is and not have it checked out by a health professional
– Check your signs and symptoms and always see your general practitioner or local podiatrist if you are unsure. - Continue to exercise and undertake daily activity on the injured area
– Trying to “put up” with the pain will cause more harm than good and possibly lead to further damage to your bones and muscles. - Ignore all health advice and later experience severe pain to the injured area because the area didn’t heal properly.
– Listen to the health professionals and their advice, you don’t want this to bite you from behind down the track.
BEST things you can do for a fractured bone in the foot
- Rest and ice the injured as soon as the incident happens
- See a health professional as soon as possible
– After checking your signs and symptoms book in with your podiatrist for a confirmed diagnosis and first line treatment options. - Receive gold standard treatment if the injured area is fractured and follow all health advice.
If you have any questions about stress fractures, feel free to give us a call on 8468 2411. Or you can book an appointment with one of our friendly podiatrists here
