Broken Bones

Breaking a bone in the foot or ankle can cause pain, swelling, and bruising. Since these are also symptoms of sprains, it is important to see a physician to get an appropriate plan of treatment.

Different parts of the foot and ankle require different treatment. Some broken bones require you to stay off of the injury by using crutches, some require splints, casts or stabilizing boots, and extreme cases may require surgery.

It is important to stabilize your injury immediately so as to not cause further damage.

1. Fashion a splint to keep the injury from moving around.
2. If using a stabilizing wrap, do not wrap the foot so tightly that it increases pain or affects circulation.
3. Elevate the injury to reduce swelling.
4. Ice the area to reduce swelling and pain.

It may be necessary to visit an emergency room if it is after normal office hours and it is an urgent situation. If bones have broken through the skin, if the foot is numb, if your foot is pointing in the wrong direction, or you have severe pain, seek immediate medical attention. 

Image by Jem Hologram. IMG_4105. (2011). Flickr.