Breaking a bone is a drag at any time of the year. But with all the summer fun in the water, breaking your foot at this time of year presents new problems. So, what to do for a broken foot in this, or any other, season? Keep reading for Powder Spring podiatrist Dr. Alvin Cowans' top tips for broken foot care. Beginning with how you can tell if your foot or ankle has sustained a fracture.
Signs You've Broken Your Foot or Ankle
After injuring your foot or ankle, here are some warning signs that could suggest it's a fracture:
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Pain or tenderness
Remember, there are also varying types of fractures. When it comes to the bones in your feet, you could have a stable or displaced fracture. Your fracture could also be exposed, meaning the broken bone has puncture through your skin. Or, you could sustain a stress fracture from overuse. And, while each of these injuries will present with different symptoms (and require different treatments, from immobilization and casting to surgery), none can be ignored.
You see, if you miss the symptoms of a broken foot and keep walking on your injury, you could make your symptoms a whole lot worse. (While extending the time it takes for you to recover.) So, if there's any question that your foot injury could have affected the bones beneath your skin, it's important to get an X-ray right away. But that doesn't mean you need to head to the Emergency Room. Instead, come see Dr. Cowans, for shorter wait times and greater expertise in the world of foot bones.
What to Do for a Broken Foot: Skip the ER ![Broken foot in cast cover]()
For many of us, the first place to go if we think we've broken a bone is the ER. But that's not what you should do with a broken foot. And here's why: doctors in the emergency room don't specialize in foot care the way podiatrists do. And studies show that this difference could spell big problems for your treatment and recovery if you have broken a foot bone. Especially when it comes to children's feet.
In fact, a study at the University of Maryland School of Medicine conducted by the director of pediatric orthopedics, Dr. Josh Abzug, followed the care of 275 children of his patients who came in with foot injuries. Shockingly, he found that among those children, 90% of kids who'd been treated in the ER for fractures were incorrectly splinted. Ultimately, that could lead to complications including reduced circulation, pain, and even damage to the limbs. Not to mention less serious concerns such as extended healing times or incomplete recoveries. As such, we always recommend seeing an expert when it comes to suspected fractures. Especially in your feet, which you need to get through all your favorite activities.
Why a Podiatrist Should Treat Your Broken Foot
Now, no one is saying that ER doctors aren't good at what they do. However, they have a little bit of knoweldge about the whole body. In contrast, your podiatrist knows a whole lot about the bones in your toes, feet and ankles. Plus, with years of experience, podiatrists have diagnosed, treated and healed many different types of foot fractures. So they are familiar with multiple injury presentations, and can often present you with several treatment options. More importantly, podiatrists are best equipped to decide what to do with a broken foot in order to ensure healing. In some cases, that will mean letting you stay mobile while taking pressure off your foot with the use of a walking boot. But, in more severe cases, your broken foot may need casting. And, again, you really want that to happen at your podiatrists office instead of in the ER.
Why is that the case? Well, setting your broken bone correctly is the best way to ensure that it will heal properly. In fact, Dr. Abzug says, "With a broken ankle, you want to splint the foot about 90 degrees to the lower leg, so that three or four weeks down the road, when the child is ready to walk, her foot is nice and flat, instead of pointed at the wrong angle." Unfortunately, he continues, that fact is not common knowledge among ER doctors, likely due to "a lack of education in some cases, or a lack of attention to detail." But, when you see a podiatrist for your broken foot, you won't have to worry about those issues. Instead, you'll receive care from a specialist who keeps up on the most important details regarding foot care. As such, you know that your foot will be set correctly, and your recovery will be optimized. All you have to do after that is make it through the summer without going crazy, or interfering with your recovery. Here are some tips for doing just that.
What to Do for a Broken Foot in Summer
Whether you're in a boot or a cast, getting off your feet and resting can help speed up your recovery time. So be sure to prop up your feet and take a rest whenever you can. Want to catch some rays when you're resting your broken foot? If you're sitting poolside and have a cast, be sure to keep it covered to prevent damage (we've pictured a good example.) Also, if the weather is really warm, wipe away sweat from your legs (and feet, if you're in a removable boot) in order to protect the delicate skin surrounding your injury. If you are casted, and your skin is itchy, avoid the urge to scratch by sticking a sharp object between the cast and your skin. Instead, try aiming a hair dryer (on a cool setting) at the gap between the skin and cast to help address the itch. Finally, make sure to follow all post-injury care instructions from your podiatrist. And, if you need further help with diagnosing, treating or recovering from a broken foot, contact our office at 770-727-0614 or click here to make an appointment.
