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When to see a doctor
By Mayo Clinic staffPain that occurs immediately after an injury can be intense. Yet every injury isn't a medical emergency, and even painful injuries sometimes can be helped by home care.
Call for immediate medical help or go to the emergency room if you:
- See an exposed bone or tendon
- Are unable to walk or put weight on your foot
- Have severe pain with swelling
You're likely to have an X-ray if:
- You aren't able to put weight on your foot
- A careful exam reveals that your midfoot and certain bones are painful
Call your doctor right away if you have diabetes and notice:
- A cut or sore on your foot that is red, swollen, warm to the touch or oozing pus
- A wound on your foot that isn't healing or is getting worse
Schedule an office visit if:
- Swelling doesn't go down in two or three days
- You have signs of infection, such as redness, warmth, tenderness, or you have a fever over 100 F (37.8 C)
- You have ankle swelling, stiffness and pain that are worse in the morning or after you've been active
- You have burning, tingling or numbness in your feet
Self-care
Overuse problems usually develop a few hours or up to a day after exercise or activity. Although they can cause severe pain, they're not a medical emergency and often respond well to home treatments. For best results, start these measures within 48 hours after a trauma or overuse injury:
- Protection. Keep weight off your foot as much as possible.
- Rest. Take a break from your normal activities.
- Ice. Place an ice pack or bag of frozen peas on your foot for 15 to 20 minutes three times a day.
- Compression. Use a compression bandage to reduce swelling.
- Elevation. Elevate your foot to help reduce swelling.
- Sheon RP, et al. Plantar fasciitis and other causes of heel and sole pain. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 14, 2010.
- Price MD, et al. Common causes of foot pain. In: Firestein GS, et al. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: W.B. Saunders Co.; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/201199838-5/998354659/1807/296.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3285-4..10043-9--s0090_1240. Accessed May 14, 2010.
- Ferri FF. Differential diagnosis: Foot pain. In: Ferri FF. Practical Guide to the Care of the Medical Patient. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/201199838-5/998354659/1417/157.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-04836-1..50005-8--cesec160_184. Accessed May 14, 2010.
- Foot pain. MD Consult. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/patient/body/201199838-5/998354650/10041/9433.html. Accessed May 14, 2010.
- Maughan KL. Ankle sprain. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 24, 2010.
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