Can you have a broken foot and still walk on it?

February 10, 2019 • • foot care • foot pain

Pain May Not Necessarily Indicate A Broken Foot

If you have been in an accident or sustained an injury to your foot, you may have a variety of symptoms that make you suspect it’s broken. However, the foot is composed of many components, and injuries can occur without causing a complete inability to walk on it. At Alamitos-Seal Beach Podiatry Group, we can determine the cause of your foot problem and ensure the right treatment for your needs.

A Break or A Sprain?

In some cases, it may not be obvious that you’ve broken your foot. A small stress fracture or a sprain may not prevent you from walking. You may simply have slight pain that decreases after resting it for a day or two. If pain increases or is accompanied by significant swelling, you should always seek medical treatment.

Symptoms of A Broken Foot

If you have a broken foot, you are likely to experience throbbing pain at the time of the incident. The discomfort is likely to increase with movement and walking.  You may have swelling of the foot, bruising of tissue and tenderness over the area. The foot may appear deformed in shape. You may not be able to put weight on the foot to walk. If the foot has an open wound that exposes a bone, it’s likely a fracture that should receive immediate medical attention.

Stress Fractures and Minor Breaks

A stress fracture is a small crack in a bone of the foot that is usually caused by overuse or repetitive activity. Runners often get these injuries. The pain may get worse as you do your normal activities and may be relieved by resting the foot. There may be some swelling or bruising of the tissue. Another problem that can occur is when people break a bone in their toe, which can be painful, but generally doesn’t prevent walking on the foot. These minor breaks heal quickly with immobilizing the toe while it heals.

Ankle Sprain

Sometimes, individuals may sustain severe ankle sprains that may make them feel like they have broken their foot. Sprains can either be mild or severe. A severe sprain can cause instability in the ankle joint.

Foot Sprain

The movement of the foot involves a number of ligaments and muscles, and one of these can sustain a sprain, either very mild or very severe.  Mild sprains may cause localized bruising or swelling. A severe sprain may prevent you from putting your weight on the foot for a day or two.

Contact Alamitos-Seal Beach Podiatry Group For Your Foot Pain

The podiatrists at Alamitos-Seal Beach Podiatry Group have extensive training in foot disorders and combine their years of experience to provide care for their patients in Alamitos, CA, Seal Beach, and surrounding communities. We treat a wide range of foot conditions, to ensure greater comfort and improved function. Call Alamitos-Seal Beach Podiatry today at 562-203-6151 in Alamitos or 562-242-1559 in Seal Beach for an appointment to have your foot pain examined and diagnosed for appropriate treatment.

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Broken Foot

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Broken Foot Overview
• Broken Foot Causes
• Broken Foot Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Broken Foot Treatment Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Next Steps
• Prevention
• Outlook
• Multimedia
• Synonyms and Keywords
• More

Broken bones (also called fractures) in the foot are very common. In fact, about 1 out of every 10 broken bones occurs in the foot. Here’s why.

• The human foot has 26 bones.
• Divide the foot into 3 parts: the hindfoot, the midfoot, and the forefoot.
  • There are 2 bones in the hindfoot. These are the talus, which is where the foot attaches to the leg, and the calcaneus, which forms the heel.
  • Five smaller bones called the navicular, cuboid, and 3 cuneiforms make up the midfoot.
  • The long part of the foot is called the forefoot and contains 19 bones. There is a metatarsal for each of the 5 toes, the big toe is made up of 2 phalanges, and the other toes each have 3 phalanges.
  • In addition, the foot sometimes has some small pebble-like bones called sesamoid bones. These bones do not perform any necessary function and are often called accessory bones.

Bones usually break when something happens to crush, bend, twist, or stretch the bone.

• Toes are often broken when you accidentally kick something hard.
• Heels are often broken when you fall from a height and land on your feet.
• Other bones in the foot sometimes break when you twist or sprain an ankle.
• Most bones break suddenly because of an accident. Occasionally, small cracks can form in bones over a longer period of time from repeated stress on the bones. These are called stress fractures. They occur most commonly in soldiers hiking in full gear or in athletes, such as dancers, runners, and gymnasts.
• Broken bones are more common in children than in adults.
  • In adults, bones are stronger than ligaments (which connect bones to other bones) and tendons (which connect bones to muscles). But in children, ligaments and tendons are relatively stronger than bone or cartilage. As a result, injuries that may only cause a sprain in an adult may cause a broken bone in a child. However, a child’s forefoot is generally flexible and very resilient to injuries of any kind.
  • When metatarsal or phalangeal fractures do occur, they may be difficult to recognize, because many parts of a growing child’s bone do not show up well on X-rays. For this reason, it is sometimes helpful to get X-rays of the child’s other, uninjured foot to compare to the hurt foot.

Broken bones in the foot cause pain and swelling.

• Usually (but not always) the pain is so bad, you are not able to walk. Broken bones in the toes cause less pain, and you may be able to walk with a broken toe.
• Bruising of the foot with a broken bone is also common.
• Sprains can also cause bad pain, swelling, and bruising, so it is usually not possible to tell if a foot is broken or sprained just by looking at it.

Here’s what to do when examining an injured foot for a possible broken bone.

• Take the shoes and socks off both feet and compare them side by side to figure out how much swelling is present in the injured foot.
• Look for any large cuts or wounds. Large cuts or wounds that expose a broken bone are more serious.

It is important to see a doctor any time you think you may have broken a bone in your foot.

For less severe injuries, your doctor may want to see you in the office or may choose to have you go to the emergency department. If you think you have broken your foot, and you can’t reach your doctor right away, it is reasonable to go to the emergency department to be examined.

Call 911, if needed, for transport to the emergency department. Do not attempt to drive with a broken foot.

Go immediately to the nearest emergency department if these conditions develop with a suspected broken foot:

• The foot is blue, cold, or numb.
• The foot is misshapen, deformed, or pointing in the wrong direction.
• There is a large cut or wound near a possible broken bone.
• You have severe pain.
• You feel you need immediate treatment for any other reason.

The doctor will ask you about the injury and examine you. X-rays are often useful in diagnosing broken bones in the foot, but sometimes they are not needed.

• Injured toes are usually treated in the same way whether they are broken or just bruised, so X-rays are often optional for these injuries.
• Sometimes a doctor’s examination is all that is needed to be certain bones in the midfoot are not broken. Doctors may use the “Ottawa foot rules” to decide if an X-ray is needed. An X-ray is required only if there is any pain in the malleolar “mid foot” zone AND any one of the following symptoms is present:
  • Pain when the doctor pushes over the base of the fifth metatarsal bone
  • Pain when the doctor pushes over the navicular bone
  • Inability to take 4 steps, both immediately after injury and at the examination

• Other ways of taking pictures of the bones of the foot (such as a bone scan, CT, MRI, or ultrasound) can be performed to look for unusual or hidden injuries, but they are rarely needed. These tests generally are not obtained while in the emergency department and usually are ordered only after consultation with an orthopedist or foot surgeon.

First aid for people with foot injuries is stabilization and elevation of the injured foot.

•  
• Any splint that keeps the injured foot from moving is effective. Often a pillow wrapped around the foot like a stirrup and then taped or tied with an elastic bandage works well.
• Do not wrap the foot so tightly that it cuts off the blood supply to the foot. Any splint that causes the foot to hurt worse, turn blue, or makes it more difficult to wiggle the toes, should be removed right away.
• Elevation of the injured foot reduces swelling and pain. Proper elevation requires the foot to be at a level higher than the rest of the body. Lie flat with the foot propped up on several pillows.
• Ice wrapped in a small towel and applied to the injured foot may also reduce swelling and pain for the first several hours after an injury.
• Do not attempt to walk on an injured foot if walking is painful.

Injured toes usually heal well even if they are broken. They can usually be treated at home unless the toe seems to be very deformed or pointing in the wrong direction.

• Treatment involves splinting the injured toe to the good toe next to it. This is called “buddy taping.”
• Place some padding (usually cotton balls) between the injured and good toe and tape them securely with a wide medical tape. They should be secure enough to provide support but not so tight as to cut off blood supply to the toes.
• A shoe with a fairly rigid sole like a wooden sandal, a clog, or a rigid flat-bottom shoe from a medical supply store is also helpful.

Treatment for a broken bone in the foot depends on which bone is broken and how it is broken. Some broken bones in the foot can be treated with crutches and flat-bottom shoes, others require splints or casts, and still others require surgery to repair the bones.

• Crutches are used to help you walk when you have a hurt foot.
• When walking using crutches it is important that they fit right and that you use them correctly. Your doctor should adjust your crutches to fit you and show you how to use them.
• When using crutches, it is important to put your weight on your arms and hands. Do not put your weight on your underarms (armpits). This could hurt the nerves that are in your underarms.
• To avoid falling, use your crutches only on firm ground.

Your doctor will tell you whether or not you should bear any weight on your injured foot.

• To use crutches in a “non-weight bearing” way, you should keep the knee of your injured leg bent whenever you walk, to keep the injured foot from ever touching the ground. Do not let it touch even to help with balance.
• To use crutches for “partial weight bearing” or “weight bearing as tolerated,” you can let your injured foot touch the ground only when the crutches are also touching the ground, so that some of your weight is on your foot and some is on the crutches. Always let your injured leg swing with the crutches. If it hurts when you walk, put more weight on the crutches and less on your injured foot.

Follow-up with your doctor or orthopedist often is needed to make sure that foot fractures are healing well. Follow-up is particularly important if pain continues or if you have difficulty walking.

It is always better to prevent broken bones than to treat them.

• Construction workers and others at risk for foot injuries should always wear steel-toed protective boots.
• Sports always should be performed with well-fitting supportive athletic shoes.
• When riding in a car, do not allow passengers to dangle feet out the window or place feet up on the dashboard.
• Always wear a seatbelt when riding in a car.

Toe fractures are common and generally heal well with little or no therapy. Although the bones may take 3-8 weeks to heal, pain usually improves much earlier. Rarely, very severe fractures, especially of the big toe, may require a cast or surgery.

• Metatarsal fractures usually heal well. The first metatarsal (the one attached to the big toe) sometimes requires a cast or surgery and a prolonged period on crutches, but the middle 3 metatarsals can usually be treated with a rigid flat-bottom shoe and partial weight bearing. “March fracture” is a metatarsal stress fracture that commonly occurs in joggers and requires stopping jogging for 4-6 weeks.
• The fifth metatarsal (the one attached to the pinkie toe) is the most commonly broken bone in the midfoot. There are 2 general types.
  • One type is the proximal avulsion fracture. These are very common and usually happen at the same time as a sprained ankle. They heal very well with a rigid flat-bottom shoe or elastic bandage and weight bearing as tolerated.
  • The other type is the Jones fracture, which is much less common but does not heal as well. This fracture gets worse with time if you keep walking on it, so non-weight bearing is very important. People with this fracture are more likely to develop problems healing that require an operation.
• Fractures at the joint between the cuneiforms and the metatarsals are called Lisfranc fractures. These are rare, but can be difficult to diagnose and treat. Weight-bearing X-rays (taken while standing on the injured foot) are sometimes needed to look for this problem. These fractures sometimes require surgery.
• Navicular fractures are rare and most often represent stress fractures in young athletes. They usually heal well with a rigid flat-bottom shoe and weight bearing as tolerated. Severe fractures through navicular bone sometimes require surgery.
• Calcaneal fractures often occur in people who fall from a height and land on their feet. These people often have other injuries as well, so they should be examined carefully. The most common fracture of the calcaneus, the intraarticular joint depression fracture, usually requires surgery. Other fractures of the calcaneus can usually be treated with splints or casts and non-weight bearing.
• There are many types of Talar fractures, some of which are difficult to diagnose and treat. Lateral process fractures often occur from snowboarding injuries. Posterior process (Shepherd) fractures are found in athletes who dance or kick. The diagnosis of these injuries often cannot be made in the doctor’s office or emergency department on the initial visit and require bone scans or other studies if symptoms continue. Treatments vary but often require splints or casts and a period of non-weight bearing.

Media file 1: Broken foot. Proper use of crutches is shown on the left. Crutch tips are shoulder width apart. Elbows are straight and locked. Pads at the top of the crutches are 3 fingerbreadths below the armpit and press against the side of the chest. Incorrect use of crutches is shown on the right.

Media file 2: Broken foot. Proper use of crutches for non-weight bearing. The knee on the injured leg is bent to keep the injured foot off the ground. Crutch tips are placed in front of you as you walk, and the good leg swings forward between the crutches as shown.

foot fractures, sesamoid bones, toe fracture, metatarsal fracture, Lisfranc fracture, navicular fracture, calcaneal fracture, talar fracture, broken foot, Ottawa foot rules

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“Good always triumphs over evil.

” The reaction to the defeat of McGregor due to a broken leg

TASS

On the night of July 10-11, the most long-awaited fight of the summer in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) took place in Las Vegas – the former interim champion in the lightweight division met for the third time in the octagon Dustin Poirier and former two-weight champion Conor McGregor. The fight didn’t last long. At the end of the first round, McGregor stumbled and broke his leg. The fighter fell to the canvas and could not get up. The fight was stopped, the victory went to Poirier.

Doctors diagnosed Conor with a broken tibia. The fighter will need surgery and time to recover. Poirier has become the mandatory challenger for the lightweight title held by Brazilian Charles Oliveira. The American took the lead in the confrontation with McGregor with a score of 2-1. The first fight in September 2014 was left for McGregor, in the second fight – in January 2021 – Poirier turned out to be stronger.

Vedomosti. Sport” gathered the reaction to the fight from the participants of the fight, mixed martial arts fighters and experts.

UFC head Dana White called the end of the fight “lousy”. “This is Conor’s second broken leg in the last three fights. Nobody wants to see such an end to the fight, ”said the functionary. In his opinion, the confrontation between McGregor and Poirier is unlikely to end in this fight – the audience should wait for the fourth fight. “Dustin will fight for the lightweight belt. Then Conor will recover and, probably, they will have a rematch with Poirier. I don’t think their fight is over. You can’t end a fight like this,” White said.

McGregor also said that the showdown with Poirier will continue. The Irishman noted that he was ready to continue proceedings outside the octagon. “Dustin, you didn’t break my leg with your punch. I checked everything. What did I feel when I fell? The bone just broke, and I also stood on this leg. This is crazy business,” McGregor said while still in the arena, after which he was carried away on a stretcher.

Before the fight, the Irishman promised that Porrier would leave the field on a stretcher. In addition, McGregor said that at night the American “will be dead” and “it will happen right in the octagon.” As Poirier noted at a press conference, he was hurt by McGregor’s words before the fight. “I can’t take it lightly. I like to fight. But I don’t like everything around the fight when it turns into a show. I think Conor was not completely sure, so he tried to turn himself on. Maybe he performs better this way, I don’t know, ”said the athlete.

Poirier suggested that now many would say that his victory was fake. “You can look at my statistics and understand that they are real. I’m sorry it ended like this. I would have finished him off if he hadn’t broken his leg,” the American noted. According to Poirier, the Irishman does not deserve a fight for the lightweight title due to weak statistics in this division (one win and three losses). “Conor needs to fight someone first to get a fight with me for the title,” Poirier commented on the possibility of a fourth fight with the Irishman.

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Post by Dustin Poirier (@dustinpoirier)

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov commented on the results of the fight. “Good always triumphs over evil. I am very happy for Porrier. Dustin, I hope you get the belt at the end of the year, ”the Russian wrote on his Twitter page.

The first UFC champion from Russia, actor Oleg Taktarov on his Instagram page explained how Poirier defeated McGregor. “I see progress in a person who is focused on results. I’m talking about Pore. Conor came out mentally exhausted. He tried to collect himself. But there was nothing there. Everything is gone. What the hell hi-kicks. In the early rounds, they are of no use. It was clear that Poirier adjusted to Conor and felt him. All of Conor’s punches were expected. You can talk about the leg, but this is a consequence, ”said the veteran of mixed martial arts.

Russian fighter Alexander Shlemenko suggested that McGregor made a mistake in choosing tactics for the fight. “Conor himself suffered this injury. He drew her with low kicks. You shouldn’t have beaten them, that’s all. Conor hadn’t hit them before. It’s like a lesson for many – the blow is hard, but you yourself can break. Probably due to the fact that Conor hits low kicks badly, he broke his own leg. It would be better if he didn’t perform them, ”said the athlete in an interview with the Youtube channel of journalist Alexander Lyutikov.

Shlemenko called the Irishman’s terrible injury and wished him to recover at least to the state he was in. Microsurgeon Ilya Kungurov, in a conversation with Match TV, noted that McGregor’s injury is a disaster for the ankle joint. “It will be necessary to learn to walk again, to cope with other factors. For ordinary life, everything will be fine, but if we talk about professional sports, I think that during the year we will not receive any clear information, ”said the doctor.

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Posted by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma)

Former UFC light heavyweight champion, the best fighter in the promotion regardless of the weight category Jon Jones on his Twitter page wished McGregor recovery: “Not sure if he will ever fight again. Get well champ, it’s terrible.” The former world boxing champion in five weight categories Floyd Mayweather rejoiced at the outcome of the fight. He bet $50,000 on Poirier to win $35,000. “Dustin Poirier, thanks for getting me paid,” Mayweather wrote on Instagram, along with a check.

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20 English idioms everyone should know ‹ GO Blog

English idioms you need to know to diversify your speech, be on the same wavelength with the locals, and also understand when they wish you good luck and when they sympathize with a broken leg . Situations are different.

Below are 20 English idioms everyone should know:

1. Under the weather**

What does this mean? Feel bad, get sick

How to use? In England they like to talk about the weather and do it quite often, but don’t be fooled by this common phrase. If someone says they feel “underwater”, your response should be “I hope you feel better soon!” rather than “Would you like to take my umbrella?”

1. The ball is in your court**

What does this mean? It’s up to you

How to use? Everything depends on you. The idiom is more about life than sports. You have a “ball”, i.e. your decision and someone waiting for that decision.

1. Spill the beans**

What does that mean? Reveal the secret

How to use? If you tell about the secret party to the person for whom it is organized, you will “sipe the beans” or “let the cat out of the bag. ” The secret will no longer be a secret.

1. Break a leg**

What does that mean? Wish someone good luck

How to use? This idiom is often accompanied by a thumbs up. “Break your leg!” is an encouraging wish for good luck.

1. Pull someone’s leg (Pull someone`s leg)

What does this mean? joke

How to use? This is a great phrase to remember if you like to joke. Use it in context: “Relax, I’m kidding (“pull your leg”)!” or “Wait, are you kidding?”

1. Sat on the fence (Sat on the fence)

Being indecisive

How to use? If you “sat on the fence”, you could not make a choice. “I’m on the fence about hot yoga classes” translates to “I’m not sure if I like hot yoga.”

1. Through thick and thin **

What does this mean? Be faithful no matter what

How to use? Often used in relation to close people. “In sorrow and in joy” means that you will always be on the side of your loved ones, no matter what happens.

1. Once in a blue moon (Once in a blue moon)

What does this mean? Rarely

How to use? This charming phrase is used to describe something that doesn’t happen often. For example, “I rarely (Once in a blue moon) remember to call my parents when I’m on holiday abroad.

1. It`s the best thing since sliced ​​bread

What does that mean? This is something very good

How to use? Sliced ​​bread must have revolutionized England because it has since been used as a term for great things.

1. Take it with a pinch of salt

Don’t take it personally

How to use? “I heard that elephants can fly now, but Sam often makes up stories, so I don’t take it too personally (take it with a pinch of salt). ”

1. Come rain or shine **

What does this mean? No matter what

How to use? You will definitely do something, no matter the weather or any other situation. For example, “I will come to your football match no matter what (come rain or come shine).”

1. Go down in flames**

What does this mean? Fail

How to use? The translation of the phrase is obvious. “I failed (go down in flames) in this exam, I should have learned better English idioms.” What does this mean? It’s true

How to use? Usually said when you agree with something. When your friend says “Ryan Reynolds is amazing!” you can reply “It’s true (you can say that again)!”

1. See eye to eye **

What does this mean? Totally agree with someone

How to use? We don’t suggest staring at someone. “See eye to eye” means to agree with someone. What does this mean? Follow trends

How to use? When a person joins something popular or does something because it’s cool. Example: “She doesn’t like avocado toast at all. She just follows the trend (jump on the bandwagon).

1. Right as rain

Ideal

How to use? Another weather-based idiom, but this one is more tricky. We complain about the rain, but “right as rain” is actually a positive phrase. “Everything is perfect!” can be the answer to the question “how are you.”

1. Beat around the bush**

What does that mean? Avoid saying something

How to use? “Walking around the bush” is when you say some nonsense to avoid a question because you don’t want to speak your mind or answer honestly. What does this mean? Go to bed

How to use? This idiom is very easy to use.