FOOT AND ANKLE INJURIES

Foot and ankle injuries happen every day. Broken bones, dislocations, sprains, contusions, infections, and other serious injuries can occur at any time. Early attention is vitally important. Whenever you sustain a foot or ankle injury, you should seek immediate treatment from a podiatric physician.

That advice is universal, even though there are lots of myths about foot and ankle injuries. Some of them follow:

MYTHS

1) It can't be broken because I can move it!!!! False
2) If you break a toe, immediate care isn't needed!! False
3) If you have a foot or ankle injury, soak it in hot water immediately!!! False
4) Applying an elastic bandage to a severely sprained ankle is adequate treatment!! False
5) The terms "fracture", "break", and "crack" are all different!! False

BEFORE SEEING A PODIATRIST

If an injury or accident occur, the steps you can take to help yourself until you reach your podiatric physician are easy to remember if you can recall the word "RICE"

1) Rest. Cut back on your activity, and get off your feet if you can.
2) Ice. Gently place a plastic bag of ice, or ice wrapped in a towel, on the injured area in a 20 minute-on40 minute-off cycle.
3) Compression. Lightly wrap an Ace bandage around the area, taking care not to pull it too tightly.
4) Elevation. Sit in a position that you can elevate the foot higher than the waist, to reduce swelling and pain.
5) Switch to a soft shoe or slipper, preferably one that your podiatrist can cut up in the office if it needs to be altered to accommodate a bulky dressing.
6) For bleeding cuts, cleanse well, apply pressure with gauze or a towel, and cover with a clean dressing. It's best not to use any medication on the cut before you see the doctor.
7) Leave blisters unopened if they are not painful or swollen.

PREVENTION

1) Wear the correct shoes for any event. Good walking shoes provide more comfort and better balance.
2) Wear hiking boots in rough terrain.
3) Different sport activities call for specific footwear to protect feet and ankles. 
4) Wear safety shoes if you're in an occupation, which threatens foot safety.

5) Always wear hard top shoes when operating a lawn mower or any other grass cutting machinery.
6) Don't walk barefoot on paved streets or sidewalks.
7) Watch out for slippery floors.
8) Turn on light when you get up in the middle of the night.

Until next week,
Live, Love and Laugh,

Kerryann