I am away from home and haven't been able to get in touch with my parents, and didn't know where else to ask.
For the past five or six days, I've had a lot of pain in my left foot. It mainly only hurts when I am walking or put other pressure on it. I get a very sharp pain accross the top of it, beginning just below second toe and going up toward the ankle. I haven't even been able to walk with the foot flat on the ground, and have been sort of walking more on the edge of it.
For the past two days, it's also started hurting on the left side of the ankle and the back of the ankle, but I thought that may just be a result of the odd way I've been walking. If I put too much pressure on it that pain also shoots partway up the calf.
There's no swelling or bruising, and I haven't switched shoes or anything like that. Since the pain seems to be getting worse every day (possibly because I've still been doing a lot of walking) I figured it was time to ask.
Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
have you considered acupuncture? I've heard that works in some cases.
Posted by Jeni (Member # 1454) on :
There is no way I am voluntarily sticking anything sharp into my foot, but thanks for asking.
Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
dietary regimen? pill?
some pains need addressing with more than the grin'n'bear it approach.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Are you wearing good shoes?
Do you remember any injury to the foot over the last couple of days?
Can you stay off it for a day or so?
-Trevor
Posted by Jeni (Member # 1454) on :
My shoes are fine, I think.
Actually, I did take a bit of a fall last week hiking, but the pain didn't start until at least four days after.
It looks like I won't have much of a choice but to mostly sit around tomorrow due to the weather, so perhaps that will help a bit.
Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
Sounds pretty serious, I think you should go see a doctor. I've never had pain on the top of my foot before, but here's my best guess:
quote:Stress fractures - Stress fractures are partial breaks or cracks in a bone. In the feet, stress fractures usually occur in the second, third or fourth metatarsals. It will hurt to touch the top of your foot; if it doesn't, you don't have a stress fracture. Swelling may occur but usually doesn't.
Causes - Stress fractures result from chronic stress to the bone, usually from prolonged overtraining or switching from running on soft surfaces to running on hard surfaces.
Treatment - If you suspect a stress fracture, see a sports-oriented physician for a bone scan. Don't run at all for six weeks. That's how long it takes for the bone to heal completely. If you try to run on it sooner, you'll only prolong the healing period. The good news is that stress fractures usually heal without any complications. Linke
It doesn't hurt any worse when I touch the top of the foot. When I said pressure, I meant when I step down with it or put weight on it.
I will try searching around a bit for what it may be.
I really appreciate the help, folks.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
If you have access to a massage therapist, that might help. If it doesn't, definatley call the Dr.
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
You know, fallow, this really isn't the kind of thread for your shenanigans. I'll overlook your marginally humourous and largely idiotic postings in threads of other kinds, but when someone is looking for honest help about a physical or mental ailment, your "stuff" isn't funny in the least. If you were a real person instead of some idiot hiding behind internet anonymity, I would long since have kicked you in the crotch or hit you with a bowling pin. So shut the crap up.
Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
I think the lass makes a good point. Massage.
... and some thought about a change of footwear.
fallow
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
Call me skeptical, but aren't massage therapists a little underqualified to offer anything other than temporary relief for the problem? I mean they spend what... two weeks in their training? I say, if you can get to a doctor covered by whatever medical insurance you have through your family, do that first. If it's so insistant and won't go away, that's probably the safest thing. I foot massage might just make matters worse since the person performing the massage has little or no knowledge of what he/she is doing so much as what it is they were told to do during their "extensive training." You're a student, right? Do you have some kind of free clinic on campus? The school I went to did, and they offered all kinds of free advice and medical help to students.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
It really depends on the nature of the injury.
If it's muscle tension and soreness from relatively new over-use, it can be good, coupled with an icepack.
If it's a fracture, the shrieks of pain will convince you it's a bad idea.
-Trevor
Posted by AvidReader (Member # 6007) on :
The podiatrist is the only doctor I've ever walked out of the office feeling better than when I went in. If you have insurance so it's no big deal to go, Jeni, I highly recommend it.
It could be something as simple as you not walking properly. I have a pair of inserts I put in my shoes (I'm flat footed) that make walking SO much nicer. That's it. I walked up and down the hall so the doc could see where the weight goes. Then he made a cast of my feet with the cloth strips like when we made masks back in primary school. In a week or so, I had my inserts. Totally painless.
Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
"The podiatrist is the only doctor I've ever walked out of the office feeling better than when I went in."
Any podiatrist you can walk away from is a good one. Posted by AvidReader (Member # 6007) on :
Geez, Beren, it was only a little in-grown toenail. It was infected and hurt like crazy, but it wasn't that bad.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Massage therapists get a whole lot more than two weeks of training. Then again, I suspect that most therapists would be unwilling to do much if you are experiencing the kind of pain Jeni described.
I bet they'd recommend that you see a doctor . . .
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