Diabetes & Foot Injuries
People with diabetes have higher chances of having nerve damage in their feet . Nerve damage can make it harder to feel sensations in your feet.
If you have diabetes, you may not feel cuts or sores on your feet. Even if your feet feel okay, its important to see a doctor after youve had a foot injury. Diabetes can also make it harder for cuts and sores in your feet to heal. Thats because diabetes weakens normal blood flow inside your body.
How To Treat A Fractured Foot
Before you visit your doctor to examine the injury, use the proven RICE therapy as top of foot pain treatment to reduce swelling:
You should also avoid taking hot baths or drinking alcoholic beverages for the first two days after the injury. You may use over-the-counter medication to reduce pain.
Besides RICE therapy, your doctor will also immobilize the area with a short walking boot, cast shoe, brace or elastic bandage. For a stress fracture, they may give you protective footwear and crutches to reduce stress on your foot.
How Is A Sprained Ankle Treated
For the majority of ankle sprains, healthcare providers recommend using the PRICE method for the first 24-48 hours after injury. PRICE stands for protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation.
- Protection. Use crutches or apply a splint or brace to limit use of your injured ankle.
- Rest. Limit physical activities that may cause stress to the sprain .
- Ice. Apply ice or a cold pack in a towel to your ankle in 20-minute increments to reduce swelling.
- Compression. Gently wrap your ankle in an elastic bandage to help decrease swelling.
- Elevation. Raise your ankle on pillows while youre sitting or lying down so that it’s higher than your heart.
If your sprain is very painful and swollen or you’re having trouble walking and putting pressure on your ankle, visit your healthcare provider for treatment.
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Rehabilitation And Recovery Time
The time for recovery varies according to the severity of the sprain. It also depends on the adherence to the doctors advice and rest taken.
Activities like exercising, walking, running etc, during the rehabilitation period, without your doctors nod will only increase recovery time of the sprained foot. Mild strains can be treated and rehabilitated by applying ice bag for a period of 2 3 days at the site of the injury. Such sprains are usually cured completely within a couple of weeks, provided precautions such as bracing or bandaging the injured area and keeping the foot stationary and elevated are taken. In the case of severe sprains, the time required for complete healing is usually a lot more.
For grade I foot sprains, the time for recovery typically ranges from a fortnight to a month and for grade II foot sprain, it varies approximately between 1 ½ 2 months. Grade 3 foot sprains can take up to 3 months to heal.
Once the inflammation alleviates, the recovery efforts concentrate on regaining back the strength of intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles. Gentle exercises are recommended as per the individuals tolerance. Gradually, a person can resume work and daily activities after sufficient recovery takes place.
Disclaimer:This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be replaced for the advice of a medical professional.
When To See Your Doctor
Unless your symptoms are mild or improving soon after the injury, contact your clinician. He or she may want to see you immediately if your pain and swelling are severe, or if the ankle feels numb or won’t bear weight. He or she will examine the ankle and foot and may manipulate them in various ways to determine the type of sprain and the extent of injury. This examination may be delayed for a few days until swelling and pain improve in the meantime, continue with the RICE regimen.
X-rays aren’t routinely used to evaluate ankle injuries. Ligament problems are the source of most ankle pain, and ligaments don’t show up on regular x-rays. To screen for fracture, clinicians use a set of rules called the Ottawa ankle rules, after the Canadian team that developed them to identify areas of the foot where pain, tenderness, and inability to bear weight suggest a fracture. A review of studies involving more than 15,000 patients concluded that the Ottawa rules identified patients with ankle fractures more than 95% of the time.
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Sprained Ankle Risk Factors
Certain people are more likely to sprain their ankles. Women, children, and teenagers tend to have more sprains. You might also be at higher risk if you:
- Play sports, especially on an indoor court
- Have balance problems
- Wear high heels or shoes that donât fit well
- Have weak or stiff ankles, such as because of a previous injury
How Do You Diagnose A Midfoot Sprain
An athlete with a midfoot sprain will have sustained a twisting or pivoting injury to his or her foot. They will develop immediate pain and later front of foot swelling in the central region of their foot. The swelling often can lead to bruising on either the top of foot or bottom of the foot. How much swelling and subsequent bruising occurs is related to how severe the injury is. The athlete will also complain of pain with bearing weight. In milder injuries they will be able to walk without too much pain, but the higher demands on the foot in athletics will be painful. On the other end of the spectrum, in more severe injuries, the injured athlete may not be able to bear any weight even to walk.
On physical examination, the injured foot will look swollen and be tender over the injured joints. Its important that the examining physician localize the injury to the specific joints involved. The tendons of the foot should remain intact in a midfoot sprain, however their motion may produce pain in the foot if they place stress on the injured joints with motion.
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How Long Does It Take For A Sprained Or Strained Foot To Recover
Sprains and strains have a similar recovery timeframe as fractures. That said, minor to moderate sprains and strains heal faster than fractures approximately two to four weeks. Sprains or strains that require immobilization take about six to eight weeks to heal, while those requiring surgery may take anywhere from three to six months to recover.
What Can I Expect If I Have A Sprained Ankle
After giving your ankle time to heal and treating the sprain according to your healthcare providers recommendations, you’ll be able to get back to regular activities. Your prognosis depends on your commitment to building strength back in your ankle through exercises and rehabilitation. If your ankle hasn’t healed completely or you stopped the strengthening exercises, your injured ligament could weaken and put you at risk for future ankle sprains.
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What Is A Strained Foot
A strained foot involves a stretched or torn tendon or muscle in your foot. Your feet have 19 intrinsic muscles and several tendons. Whereas muscles provide strength to your feet, tendons provide stability by connecting your muscles to your bones. The most common cause of foot strain is overuse, leading to tendonitis. However, stretched and torn muscles may occur from awkward movements.
General Health And Medication
Drugs such as immunosuppressants have been shown to slow down the recovery and repair process in the body. Using NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen can also cause a slower recovery for soft tissue.
In addition, those who suffer from ailments such as diabetes also experience nerve problems that can cause foot numbness and increase their susceptibility to sprains. If you suspect that the trigger of your sprain was because of weak nerves and you experience muscle numbness, you ought to consult a physician.
Aside from these factors, the location of your sprain will have a big impact on how long it will take for your sprain to heal. Ankle sprains are among the most complicated and can be categorized into inversion sprains, eversion or outward sprain and high sprains. If you get a sprain on your ankle, it will take longer to heal than if you get it on your calves.
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Hows A Sprained Toe Treated
Mild toe sprains might not require any treatment. In other cases, you may need to tape the injured toe to the toe next to it, known as buddy taping. This helps to protect your sprained toe and provide stability so your injured ligament can heal. You can use whatever kind of tape you have on hand or purchase specialized wraps on .
While taping works well for grade 1 sprains, grade 2 or grade 3 sprains might require wearing a walking boot to provide added protection and stability. You can purchase these on as well. Remember, its important to check with your doctor first to make sure youre following the best treatment option for your injury.
Regardless of how severe your sprain is, follow these tips to reduce pain and swelling:
- Rest your foot and toe as much as possible.
- Apply a cold compress to your toe for 15 to 20 minutes several times a day, for several days after the injury.
- Elevate your foot when sitting or lying down.
- Take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory to help with the pain.
- Wear shoes with a stiff sole or padding in the front to help protect your toe.
How Long Will It Take For My Swollen Foot To Heal
How long will it take for my swollen foot to heal? Protect your injured foot while it heals by wearing a shoe insert or stiff-soled shoes if recommended by your doctor. Turf toe sprains usually heal in about two to three weeks. Mild midfoot sprains heal in a few weeks. Severe sprains may take two months to heal.
How do you care for a sprained foot? Recommended care. You should go to a retail clinic to have the foot sprain evaluated. Most often, minor sprains can be treated by resting the foot, elevating it while sitting or laying down, and applying an ice pack or heat. Over-the-counter pain medication can help as well.
How long does it take a foot injury to heal? If it is painful to put weight on your foot, your provider may give you a splint or crutches to use while your foot heals. Most minor-to-moderate injuries will heal within 2 to 4 weeks. More severe injuries, such as injuries that need a cast or splint, will need a longer time to heal, up to 6 to 8 weeks.
How long for ankle/foot swelling to subside? Usually it will go away within a few days . If the swelling doesnt subside in this time, it could be cause for concern. If swelling occurs in your feet frequently when you drink alcohol, it may be a sign of a problem with your liver, heart, or kidneys. This could also be a sign that youre consuming too much alcohol.
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Do Ankle Sprains Heal On Their Own
Most sprains heal on their own, but rebuilding strength in your ankle can help prevent future injuries. If you don’t allow your ankle ligaments time to heal, you may have long-lasting instability or repeat ankle sprains. If your symptoms continue for more than four to six weeks after injury and you still feel weakness when walking on your foot, you may have a chronic ankle sprain.
What Are Good Treatments For A Mild Ankle Sprain
If youve experienced a mild injury to the ligaments of the ankle, simple measures can be taken to treat the injury:
- Applying RICE to the injured area can relieve pain and swelling, and enable healing.
- Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs can be taken to reduce swelling.
- Compression wraps can help to limit movement that may cause additional damage.
Even in cases of mild sprains, talking to your doctor about appropriate treatments should always be the first step you take.
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Professional Athletes With Midfoot Sprain
It was really about rehabbing and getting stronger so that it wouldnt happen again. Did the dreaded Lisfranc midfoot sprain ever cross his mind? I wasnt bothered, he said. I knew that it was something minor and would be taken care of in a short ClevelandBrowns.com Myles Garrett on his foot, leg-pressing friends, beating Joe Thomas and aiming for Rookie of the Year on 1st day of camp cleveland.com
The Lisfranc injury is a midfoot sprain, that occurs if a bone in the middle of the foot has been broken, or ligaments supporting the bone have been torn. According to OrthoInfo, A Lisfranc injury is often mistaken for a simple sprain, especially if MLive.com Why Tigers fans should be very concerned about JD Martinezs injury Detroit Sports Nation
Detroit Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez suffered a right midfoot sprain in Saturdays spring training game against the Miami Marlins, the team announced. The Tigers said Martinez was taken for X-rays, which came back negative, and will be re-evaluated MLive.comCBSSports.comDetroit Free Press JD Martinez suffers right foot sprain, to be re-evaluated Sunday ESPN
What Are The Types Of Ankle Sprains
There are three types of ankle sprains based on how much ligament damage occurred:
- Grade 1 . The ligament fibers stretched slightly or there is a very small tear. Your ankle will have minor swelling and tenderness to the touch.
- Grade 2 . The ligament is torn, but it isnt a complete tear. Your ankle has swelling over the injury and it hurts to move.
- Grade 3 . The ligament is torn completely. Your ankle has significant swelling, the injury is painful and walking is difficult.
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Who Gets A Midfoot Sprain
Midfoot sprains can occur in many sports, but typically occur in those that risk the athletes foot to a twisting injury. The most common sport for this to occur in would be football, however athletes in soccer, basketball, field hockey and many others can sustain these injuries. Also, those unique sports in which the foot is locked into a position place the midfoot at risk of an injury. As noted above, these can equestrian sports, windsurfing, and pedaling sports.
How Long Does It Take For A Sprained Ankle To Heal
Ankle sprains are a real pain especially if they sideline you from physical activity. Ankle injuries are far too common.
A 2019 research review showed that approximately 2 million acute ankle sprains occur each year in the United States, making it one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries.
And when you consider that it takes between 3 to 4 weeks to heal a moderate ankle sprain and 3 to 6 months for a more severe injury to heal, finding the right treatment is key.
The good news is you can heal from an ankle sprain and get back to doing the things you enjoy with the proper:
- rehabilitation
Keep reading to find out about the different types of ankle sprains, the best way to treat them, and how to prevent them from occurring again.
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How Long Does It Take To Walk Again After A Broken Leg
A small fracture usually heals in 6 to 8 weeks. During this period, you’ll most likely need to use crutches or a wheelchair until you can put weight on the leg again. You will be instructed how to utilize any mobility equipment that is supplied to you safely. Generally, people are able to walk with a broken leg once the bone has healed and stabilized.
If you have a severe break, then you’ll need to wait for the bone to heal before walking again. This could take up to a year! In the meantime, you may need to use a wheelchair or other device to get around.
After a break, it’s normal to feel pain when putting pressure on the wound site or moving the leg too quickly. The pain should go away as the bone heals. If you continue to feel pain after the bone has healed, then something else might be wrong. A doctor should be consulted if the pain doesn’t go away within a few months.
What Is The Recovery Time For A Foot Amputation
Ideally, the wound should heal completely in four to eight weeks. However, the physical and mental adjustment to losing a limb might take time. Exercises to develop muscular strength and control will be included in long-term healing and rehabilitation.
A foot amputee must learn to walk again with prosthetic devices. Recovery time varies depending on how much muscle and tissue was damaged during the operation. Most patients are able to walk with a prosthesis within three months. However, it may take up to a year before they are fully healed and their weight is restored to normal. Patients who have less damage to their muscles and tissues can expect to recover more quickly.
Amputations are serious injuries that require immediate medical attention. The patient should be informed of all aspects of the surgery including any possible complications. Physical and occupational therapists can help patients adjust to their new lives by developing mobility skills and using assistive devices.
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