Sharp Chronic Foot Pain: It Could Be A Stress Fracture

You have a chronic pain in your foot in a bone that comes and goes when you exercise, and you can't get it to go away. If this sounds like you, you want to go to a podiatrist, such as Better Foot Care Ohio, before the problem gets serious.

If the problem comes on after you are done exercising, and then aches for hours, you could have a stress fracture. People aren't commonly bothered by a stress fracture during athletic activities or while walking throughout the day, but afterwards. If you think this could be your problem, you will want to do the following things.

Rest the Foot

The stress fracture is a small crack in the bone. Overusing the foot could cause the stress fracture to become a more serious fracture, and then you'll have a broken foot to rehab. It isn't possible for you to avoid walking, but you should stop your exercise routine, or walking unnecessarily, until you can get the foot looked at.

Use Support

Stress fractures in the feet can occur from vigorous sports activities, or even from poor fitting or unsupportive shoes. Wear shoes that are as cushioned and comfortable as possible to prevent pain and irritation until you can get into the podiatrist. If it feels better with an insole in your shoe, use one in every pair you wear.

Get Your Calcium

Are you getting enough calcium to help keep your bones strong? Increase your dairy intake and consider using a calcium supplement to make sure that your bones have the calcium needed to heal. If you are a smoker, this could be preventing the stress fracture from healing.

Ask an Expert

A podiatrist is a foot expert and will want to have an x-ray of the foot completed. They will be able to tell you the severity of the fracture, or if there is another problem with the foot. They may recommend that you use a walking boot until the foot heals, or that you use crutches to take weight off the injury. They may have specific shoe recommendations, activities to try, and restrictions while the foot heals.

If this is a chronic problem, the podiatrist can help you come up with a plan to prevent getting stress fractures again in the future. Don't risk ignoring the problem, you need to use your feet for the rest of your life. Instead, go straight to the experts to get treatment.


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