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The response to the question below was authored by Marc Mitnick DPM
Can't walk on foot. Have to walk on outside of foot
I have been running on a treadmill pretty fast and hard the last two weeks. I do about 3 miles or so and I've been running on and off my whole life . I finished a run 2 days ago and felt fine. I did feel like I needed to stretch my calfs more though. Later that day I was at work and walking and got a shooting pain in my left foot/ankle when I was walking. Like I had to immediately take the weight off my foot. . It was as my toes were pushing off the ground. Ever since It has gotten worse and now I must walk on the outside of my foot to walk. Also when I flex my foot up with toes pointing up and roll ankle toward the left I get the pain in my arch. The pain is in the medial part of my foot like where my arch is and also the top part of my ankle and the back of my heel and sometimes bottom middle portion of foot. Is this a stress fracture? Anything I can do beside not run and ice it? Thank you for any insight. I've made a doctors appt but they can't see me for a week.
RESPONSE
Hi,
Without an examination and possibly an x-ray it is difficult to know what kind of damage you did to your foot.
So until you know exactly what you did to yourself, you need to protect the foot as this will obviously reduce pain and not allow further damage.
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In addition to not running and ice, you may also want to consider wrapping the foot in an ace bandage or similar device, just to better stabilize the foot and take some of the strain off the foot when walking.
If, however, walking is very painful, then you may want to consider the use of crutches until you can be examined.
Being non-weightbearing on the foot is the best way to prevent further damage.
Additionally, assuming there are no contraindications, such as a sensitive stomach, or any history of bleeding tendencies, you may also want to start a round of anti-inflammatory medication such as Motrin, Aleve or Advil.
Take the medication according to the schedule recommended in the package insert. This way you maintain adequate blood levels of the medication and that will have the most benefit.
Since you will be seeing the doctor in the next few days you will not be on the medication for too long a period of time.
Lastly, I would recommend switching over to moist heat, such as soaking in warm water, rather than ice, as I prefer icing strictly for the first 24 hours after injury, just to reduce swelling and thus pain, but beyond that time period, I feel heat is more beneficial.
Marc Mitnick DPM
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ADDITIONAL REFERENCES
University of Rochester Medical Center
American Academy of Pediatrics
Columbia University Department of Rehabilitation
