When Dealing with a Foot Injury, Visit a Foot Injury Specialist

Anyone suffering from a foot injury needs to visit our clinic to speak with a foot injury specialist right away. It is critical that we treat any foot injuries immediately since the injured foot can become worse and end up causing problems in other areas of the body to further restricting mobility. It is best to simply address this condition as soon as possible.

IT IS EASY TO INJURE A FOOT

There are more bones in the foot than anywhere else in the body. As such, it is incredibly easy to injure the foot. Bones can break, an individual can sprain a foot or step on a piece of glass. Many of these injuries happen when a person is doing normal daily activities. For example, walking incorrectly can lead to a foot injury. Tripping, stumbling or falling can also lead to a foot injury.

Even walking around with bare feet can cause an injury. People of all ages can sustain an injury and no one is immune. We do tend to treat highly active or elderly people more often than the general public but truly anyone can suffer a foot injury; even a kid playing soccer. This is because people use and abuse the feet every day, making it incredibly easy for an injury to take place.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

When a foot sustains an injury, the first thing that we suggest is to rest it, apply ice, use a compression bandage and elevate it. Thes simple steps can help to temporarily ease the discomfort. Next, it is important to schedule an appointment with our clinic to speak with a foot injury specialist. When arriving, we will ask questions about what happened, conduct a physical examination and use imaging scans to see the issue clearly. The examination will give us a better picture of what is going on so that we can recommend a treatment solution.

Our goal is to help our patients regain mobility and be able to continue with normal daily activities. Sometimes we can achieve this through non-invasive methods like wearing a boot and resting the foot or using special bandages while it heals. Other times, we will do this in combination with something like taking pain medications or using steroid shots. However, if these non-invasive or minimally-invasive solutions are not effective enough to solve the problem, we will have to recommend surgery.

SURGERY

Needing foot surgery is the most extreme measure but if it is necessary for regaining the ability to walk, stand or run, it is well worth it. Remember that we only make this suggestion after first exploring noninvasive means so if it is a recommendation you receive, know that it is truly necessary.

If surgery is necessary, we will be an active participant in the recovery process to ensure that recovery goes as smoothly as possible. The recovery process usually includes a physical therapy routine and set exercises to strengthen the foot and prevent re-injury.

LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS

As a foot injury specialist, we find that many people try to treat their injured foot at home without visiting the clinic. This is a mistake. While at-home care is important for rest, it is not enough. Instead, it is necessary to receive treatment from a specialist that can be effective as a long-term solution. Otherwise, people often reinjure their foot repeatedly and suffer more because of it.