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The response to the question below was authored by Marc Mitnick DPM

swollen foot , redness

by Milissa
(Mo.)

About 3-4 weeks ago i had some pain , felt like a bruise to the touch, going down my right leg from my calf down to the top of my foot and it was swollen . I went to the Dr. and she said just prop it up and take some Aleve twice a day, well i did the pain went away, but then it started to swell up a little more , even on the top of my foot. So my leg and foot are still swollen, when i push on my leg it leaves a indention , and in the arch of my foot it is red sometimes it feels sore , sometimes it seems like it itches , there feels like there is something in my shoe when i wear a tennis shoe it also feels like there is hard spots where it is red and itchy. Do you know what this is ?


RESPONSE

Hi Milissa,

The short answer is I do not know what is wrong with your foot and leg. I do not know your age, or your overall health, your weight, what medications you may be on, etc.
But, here is what concerns me.
Anytime you have calf tenderness followed by swelling in the foot, one of the things that needs to be ruled out is a deep vein thrombosis or blood clot.
If I knew more about you it would help, but I will take the worst case scenario and tell you that you should go back to your doctor and make sure you do not have a DVT (deep vein thrombosis).
The fact that the calf felt better after elevation and Aleve is encouraging but again I am sitting on the other end of the internet and without the luxury of actually examining you, my job is difficult.
If a DVT is ruled out then the possibilities become less dangerous. The most common cause of your type of pain would be a strain of the calf muscle. Again, I wish I could question you about your activity, such as are you athletic?
In any event if you are athletic or just do a lot of walking in your daily activity then depending on how tight your achilles tendon may or may not be, along with the types of shoes you wear, plus the terrain you walk, you might just be straining the calf muscle.
I have to believe the best advice I can give you is to go back to your doctor and after she examines you, again, ask her if she thinks this pain and swelling could be the result of a blood clot.
If she thinks that is a possibility then she will send you for a test to rule out that possibility.
Do not put this off.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Mayo Clinic

Johns Hopkins Medicine

MedlinePlus

Arthritis Foundation

University of Rochester Medical Center

Harvard Health

Drugs.com

American Academy of Pediatrics

Penn State Medical Center

National Institutes of Health

Columbia University Department of Rehabilitation

ScienceDirect

Stanford Health Care

Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Mount Sinai Hospital

Institute for Chronic Pain

University of Florida Health

American Family Physician

Cedars-Sinai

University of Maryland Medical Center
If you happen to live in the New York - New Jersey area and would like to visit our office

Dr. Marc Mitnick

151 Summit Ave.
Summit, NJ 07901
908-522-0761


To make an appointment online or for directions to our office click Dr. Marc Mitnick.

DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this site is purely informational in nature. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any medical condition. This information is not a substitute for advice from a medical professional. Please consult your healthcare provider for accurate diagnosis and treatment. The information presented here may be subject to errors and omissions.


SITE LAST UPDATED: MAY 2026




MY PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS
(items I prescribe in the office)


Orthotics for multiple types of foot pain
best buy in a pre-made orthotic
click link below


SuperStepOrthotics

Orthotics for heel and arch pain for those who must wear dress shoes
click link below


redithotics

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(location unknown)
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(location unknown)
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(location unknown)
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(location unknown)
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UK

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Mansfield Ctr, CT

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Placentia, California

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Unknown

Unknown location

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Unknown location

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By the way, millions of websites could use yours as a guideline on how to organize information and make the site user-friendly. Kudos to you!

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Thank you for your very interesting and informative site!

Anonymous



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New Zealand

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Sincerely

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Arizona
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Thanks, Kathy

Florida
1st of all THANKS A LOT for your great site......

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Poland
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M P

South Carolina
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Natalie

unknown location


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Arlington, VA


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San Clemente, CA


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Pam

location unknown


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location unknown


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Bre

location unknown


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anonymous



Dr. Mitnick, Thank you, you were 100% correct. The pain finally brought me to the ER. I spent 8 days in the hospital. The Doppler you spoke of was able to show that there was no pulse in that foot. This was an arterial clot that split and traveled throughout my leg. My leg was almost amputated. I am in rough shape but have all my parts intact!! You certainly know what you are talking about. Thank you for taking the time to answer. Yours Truly!

anonymous



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Poland



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Seattle, WA


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Bonnie

location unknown



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New Jersey



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Debbie

location unknown



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Chrissy

location unknown



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Tracy

Evansville, IA



Dear Marc

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Russ W.

location unknown



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location unknown



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Jackie

San Diego, CA



Dr. Mitnick, Just want to say thank you so very much for your quick response and very informative reply! After reading what you had to say, I called the doctor's office and was able to get in and see him the same day as my injury. Toe was x-rayed and luckily, it is not broken or fractured. Very badly bruised and will probably lose the toe nail. And although my toe and toe nail are still very black and blue and very sore, they ARE both starting to feel a little better. So again, thank you! I am so very happy that I came across your website. The service you provide is outstanding and immeasurable!

Rivi,

Albany, NY



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Jill S.

location unknown



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Jackie

Whichita, KS



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mark

Boston, MA



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Colorado



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Colorado

Wonderful advice

by: Anonymous

This is the best site for foot problem info.

Thank you for this information. This description fits my pain and inflammation behind my 2nd toe perfectly.

by: Max

location unknown
Again, I really appreciate that you responded to my inquiry, and that your mention of Parkinson's helped me to find my way to a diagnosis of this difficult to diagnose disease. Most patients see on average 16 doctors before they are diagnosed. I hope that you can help other people that ask for your expertise in the future.

Barb D.

Canada
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location unknown
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Wisconsin
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Julie

location unknown
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Renae

North Carolina
Many Thanks Dr Marc!
Thank you for your response. It sounds like a good plan to me. He did not cut the wart out first ...

KG

location unknown

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Bessie Mae

Florida
Dear Dr. Mitnick, Thank you so very much for taking your time to answer my question. You have greatly relieved my anxiety related to the continual tingly I feel in my feet. I will share your response with my podiatrist next week. God bless you for having this question and answer page on your website! Most gratefully,

Lynne T.

location unknown
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Robert

New Jersey


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a mom

location unknown


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Lenoir, NC


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Bellevue, WA


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Jodi

location unknown

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