About 4wks ago I injured the top of my foot. I elevated/iced it immediately and after an hour I could walk on it (w/ a slight limp). I couldn't put on any footwear though for about 3 days. It's fine now when walking...I can even run/jog without any problems. But when I position my foot for a side kick or round-house I have pain. It's also still sore to touch. It never bruised badly but it's still slightly discolored and numb over the area. It's also bumped up (shaped differently than the other foot...only slightly though). Oh, and it itched HORRIDLY about a week after I injured it...almost drove me mad since I couldn't really scratch it (itch was "deep" and it hurt to press on it). I had assumed that since I could walk fine and the severe pain subsided within an hour that it would heal okay if I took it easy. It's been 4wks and even though it's not causing me any serious problems I'm wondering if I should have it checked out. I had a baby 3 months ago and haven't been training (tae kwon do) but I'd like to start up soon. Obviously though I'm not going to be able to start until this problem is resolved. I'm wondering if anyone knows if this sounds like a soft tissue injury or if it's possible that something is broken. Is there really any advantage to going in or are they just going to shrug and tell me there's nothing they can do? It has been stepped on several times by my 4 year old but other than that I haven't done anything strenuous to impede healing. Is there anything else I should be doing to encourage healing? Thanks. Kelly
It's hard to assess something like this over the net. My advice would be to go and see a physio or a good sports massage therapist. How exactly did you injure it? Could you provide pictures? It's most likely a sprain or strain but they are a pain in the A to heal on the foot. I've got turf toe, basically where you hyperextend your toes back, and it hasn't gone after about 6-8 months. If it's still swollen then keep with the ice treatment, 10-20 min per time every 2 hours if possible. Once the swelling subsides you could also try contrast bathing of the area, have a hot bowl of water and dip the foot in it for 3-4 minutes, then dip it into a cold bowl of water for 30-60 seconds. Repeat this three times. This process creates a pumping action in the local area that helps to flush dead cells and waste products out. General temperatures are as hot as you can bear it and as cold as you can make it! Doesn't have to be too precise. Also recommend some light self massage to the area to help with circulation
Thanks for the reply and suggestions! LOL, I injured it running in the rain (not for exercise...I was running to get some stuff I had left outside that I didn't want to get wet). Anyway, I went to jump up the two steps of the deck and slipped. My foot went under the first step (it has about a 2inch rise from the wooden walk) and I fell forward over top of the steps. My foot received all of the impact. I feel like an idiot really...I kinda saw it coming . Here are some pics...I put dots around the swollen area on one and arrows to show the discoloration and swelling on the other: As you can see it's not too bad (hence my hesitation to see the dr) but I was hoping to have complete recovery by now (4wks after the incident). I also don't want to start training again until I know it's fully healed (especially considering most of my sparring kicks are with the instep). Thanks! The pics make it look like the swelling is to the side of my foot but the pain is closer to my instep than it is to my ankle (especially in the positions I described in my previous post). Kelly
Could be either your tibialis anterior muscle which inserts in that area (the muscle that goes up the outer part of your shin) or possibly a sprain of the medial ligaments of the foot. I'd suspect a ligament sprain as a common symptom is swelling in front of the bony prominence of the inner ankle (medial maleolus). Ligaments also take longer to heal due to their low blood supply, so could explain why you're still having problems. Did the foot twist at all as you caught it? Either way i'd suggest getting it checked out as i can only offer common problems and i'm sure you'll want it to heal a.s.a.p!
Honestly, I don't remember if it twisted or not. I kind of tipped back (because my foot was slipping) and then fell forward. I greatly appreciate your responses. Thanks again! Kelly
Hi there you may have injured your Inferior Extensor retinaculum http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Gray441.png ok have look. ps good info on the foot
i injured my foot about 3 months ago sparring, so i went to see a physio. listed below are some of the exersises i was told to do hot and cold treatment- u fill up two fairly large bowls one with hot water and one with cold. place your injured foot first in the hot water for 30 secs then the cold for 30 secs repeat this for a minimum of 5 minutes. arch supports - i was advised to use arch supports in my school shoes as it gives fast pain relief. (pain relief for feet, knees, and lower back( so i was told)) antiseptic - soak your foot in a bowl of lukewarm water with a small ammount of antiseptic. soak for 10 minutes minimum. one last thing i was advised to do is apply ibupurofen cream as its offers pain relief and reduces swelling regards davbb
all comments indicate it is a soft tissue injury; i doubt it to be muscular since you're able to walk but can not do a side or roundhouse kick which places the foot in plantar flexion, therefore, more likely a ligamental strain; the contrast baths is a good idea given the length of time of the injury and i would still see a physiotherapist to assess whether you need to immobilize for short periods of time to allow healing to occur (if you're ahaving recurring tears/microtears) and yet give you adequate exercises to keep it loose
