Diagnosing Your Foot Injury When to See a Doctor (2024)

FAQs

Diagnosing Your Foot Injury When to See a Doctor? ›

Schedule an office visit if you:

If your foot injury hasn't healed and it's been a few weeks, you may benefit from seeing a doctor. You can make an appointment with an orthopedic foot specialist who has expertise in treating foot injuries.

Traumatic injuries to the foot and ankle can result in fractures or breaks to the bones of the foot and/or ankle. Breaks are accompanied by symptoms such as throbbing pain, bruising, inflammation, tenderness, a visible deformity of the bone, difficulty or inability to walk or bear weight.

Get help from NHS 111 if:

there's a large amount of swelling or bruising, or the swelling or bruising is getting worse. it hurts to put weight on it. it feels very stiff or is difficult to move. it's not feeling any better after treating it yourself.

Pain and swelling are common symptoms of a tear that indicate surgery may be necessary. The pain may be intense, making putting weight on the affected foot difficult. Walking or even standing can be painful. This type of pain can indicate that the ligament is completely torn, which requires immediate medical attention.

Seek immediate medical attention if you:

Have severe pain or swelling, especially after an injury. Have an open wound or a wound that is oozing pus. Have signs of infection, such as redness, warmth and tenderness in the affected area or you have a fever over 100 F (37.8 C). Are unable to walk or put weight on the foot.

You may have difficulty determining if your foot is broken or sprained. This is normal because the symptoms of the two conditions overlap. In general, a broken foot tends to be more painful than a sprained foot, and the pain lasts longer. Bruising, swelling, and tenderness are also more severe if your foot is broken.

You can begin light activity once the pain has decreased and the swelling has gone down. Slowly increase the amount of walking or activity each day. There may be some soreness and stiffness when you walk. This will go away once the muscles and ligaments in your foot begin to stretch and strengthen.

Other Symptoms to Look Out For

Bruising: A fractured foot often sports a bluish or purplish bruise, caused by blood leaking from the fractured bone into the surrounding tissues. Tenderness: The area around the severe breaks or an impact injury may be extremely sensitive to touch or pressure.

What will a doctor do for a sprained foot? ›

If your sprain or strain is moderate to severe, your doctor will immobilize your foot or ankle with a cast, brace or splint. The most severe foot sprains and strains require surgery. Whatever extra treatments your doctor provides, continue to use the RICE method to aid healing.

Chronic instability leads to increased risk of injury

An untreated sprained ankle can lead to chronic ankle instability. The outer side of your ankle is weak and can cause your foot to roll over, causing you to lose your balance. You may have chronic weakness, pain, and swelling in the ankle.

Seek emergency care if:

Apply ice or a cold pack on the way to the doctor. The area is hot and inflamed and you have a fever (indicating a possible infection). The sprain is severe, in which case a delay in treatment might result in chronic pain or long-term joint problems.

Yes, you can usually walk with a torn ligament thanks to the other ligaments and supporting structures, but you may feel a lot of pain and a sensation of weakness and instability as you walk.

Some fractures are so small that they don't cause noticeable symptoms right away. Other types of fractures can cause symptoms that are easy to mistake for other conditions. For example, a stress fracture in your foot may have symptoms like a sprain, strain, or even plantar fasciitis.

To help you know if you should seek medical attention for foot pain, here are some signs that you should see your doctor about your symptoms: Chronic pain or swelling in your feet. Difficulty or inability to bear weight on your feet or walk. Frequent numbness or tingling sensations.

Having sore feet after a long day of walking or standing is to be expected, but when your pain is persistent and doesn't improve with home treatment (e.g., rest, ice, compression, and elevation), it's time to see a doctor. Foot pain may be caused by injuries, overuse, or wearing poorly fitting shoes.

Possible foot pain treatments include: Orthotics (shoe inserts). Steroid injections. Shoes that offer the specific type of support you need.

Most minor-to-moderate injuries will heal within 2 to 4 weeks. More severe injuries, such as injuries that need a cast or a boot, will need a longer time to heal, up to 6 to 8 weeks. The most serious injuries will need surgery to reduce the bone and allow the ligaments to heal. The healing process can be 6 to 8 months.