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Posts for tag: Swelling

By Dr. Melissa Lockwood, DPM
May 08, 2013
Category: Uncategorized
Tags: Swelling   Sports  


I have a lot of patients who are athletes.  I love treating athletes because they are so in tune with their bodies and they are very open to keeping themselves as healthy as possible.  After watching the NCAA tournament and seeing Louisville player Kevin Ware have that horrible fracture, I investigated his injury further.  There is a LOT of speculation that he may have had a pre-existing stress fracture in his leg that contributed to his compound fracture during the Final Four. 

This week I have had the unfortunate situation where 3 athletes presented with various stress fractures in their feet.  All three are training competitively and all are working hard to heal as quickly as possible to get back in the game.  I wanted to share with you some signs and symptoms of a stress fracture and how we treat them to hopefully avoid Kevin’s unfortunate injury.

Signs and Symptoms:
 

1.     Pain with exercise or pain when you try to increase your duration/intensity/distance.

2.     Pain will usually go away with rest.

3.     Swelling will occur if you continue to exercise on the injured extremity.

4.     In the feet, they usually occur in the metatarsal bones (right behind the toes).

Stress fractures happen to 1) bone that is weak or 2) bone that is excessively overused. 

How do we treat stress fractures:
 

1.     REST.  An athlete’s worst nightmare, but resting that extremity will help in letting the bone heal and become stronger so you can get back into your activity faster. 

2.     ICE.  Icing the area at least 2-3 times/day will decrease inflammation and swelling.

3.     COMPRESSION.  We like walking boots.  They keep your foot safe and out of inappropriate shoes and remind you (and everyone else!) that you are nursing an injury.  These types of breaks heal and feel better quickly, so protecting and compressing the injured extremity will keep you from reinjuring it!

4.     EVERYTHING ELSE.  We sometimes order an MRI to determine the soft tissue damage and how affected the bone shaft is.  I will also recommend that activities (running, basketball, etc) stop for at least 2-6 weeks (depending on how well you respond to 1-3 above!!) and go back into the activity very gradually.

With patience and the appropriate game plan, you can get back at it much more quickly!  If you are concerned about pain while you are running or playing a sport (or your child is complaining of that as well), please call our office at 309-661-9975 for a consultation!  We want to keep you in the game!!  You can also visit our website at www.heartlandfootandankle.com for more information on our practice and how to protect those feet while exercising!  

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By Dr. Melissa Lockwood
July 27, 2011
Category: Uncategorized
Tags: Summer   Swelling  

Notice that your feet swell so much in the summer??  There are a few quick tips to help us all put our best (and skinniest!) feet forward during this HOT weather:

  1. Water, water, water.  Aim for a GALLON of water per day to help stay hydrated.   If we don’t drink enough fluids, our body retains the water and it usually settles in the area the furthest away from the heart – our feet and ankles!
  2. Elevation baby!  No you don’t have to climb Mt. Everest, but even a little elevation of your feet and ankles (think step stool at work) can promote the circulation back to your heart to keep it pumping!)
  3. Loose fitting shoes and socks – will allow you to swell but won’t constrict.  “Diabetic” socks, or non-binding ones, are great in the summer heat! 

Sometimes I recommend compression stockings for longstanding edema (swelling), but usually the above tips will keep your feet cool, dry and happy during those dog days of July!

For more information or to schedule an appointment regarding swelling, please contact a foot care professional by calling (309) 661-9975 or clicking here. 

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