Foot Injury

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

We sparred pretty hard on Friday, although I didn’t think I took much damage.

Woke of the next day barely able to walk, and have pretty much had to stay off my left food since then.

This seem like a really long time. I spent the first day or so giving it use baths (dunking it in as long as I could stand). I’m really surprised it’s taking this long. I’m thinking it must have gotten spiked by a shoulder, or it was just a bad kick I didn’t notice.

In any case, any advice? I’m 90% sure nothing is broken, but the persistent swelling has me a little concerned.

Thanks.

2

[quote]Spartiates wrote:
We sparred pretty hard on Friday, although I didn’t think I took much damage.

Woke of the next day barely able to walk, and have pretty much had to stay off my left food since then.

This seem like a really long time. I spent the first day or so giving it use baths (dunking it in as long as I could stand). I’m really surprised it’s taking this long. I’m thinking it must have gotten spiked by a shoulder, or it was just a bad kick I didn’t notice.

In any case, any advice? I’m 90% sure nothing is broken, but the persistent swelling has me a little concerned.

Thanks.[/quote]

Ok,

I gather the following from your post.

a.) Your left foot hurts and is visibly swollen.

b.) You first noticed the pain Saturday morning and it was severe enough to make it non-weight bearing. You are still non-weight bearing.

c.) You cannot remember any specific trauma during sparring Friday. Rather you woke up with this.

I immediately have the following questions.

1.) Where, specifically, does it hurt? Describe as specific as possible. Other than standing on it, what else aggravates it? Is touching it painful? Is moving your ankle, toes, etc. painful?

2.) Where is the swelling?

3.) What makes it feel better? What makes it worse? Have you noticed more or less at any time per day, or is it constant?

4.) What does the pain feel like exactly?

5.) What have you done for it so far, other than try to stay off it?

6.) What leads you to say it is not broken?

Do you have any objections/barriers to getting it x-rayed and examined by a physician?

Regards,

Robert A

3

When I broke my foot I was 100% sure it was ok. I could still walk with only a slight limp. Didn’t hurt too bad it just wouldn’t go away.So I’d say get an xray…

4

My Wife’s brother had a rock hit his foot. He got it checked out to be safe. No x-rays, doc just sent him on his way with instructions for ice, advil, etc. Turns out it was broken and the broken bone had pinched off a blood vessel.

Long story short, gangrene set in and my brother in-law is minus 1 big toe. Pretty freak thing, but I still wouldn’t screw around. I like my toes where they are. Just my 2 cents.

5

[quote]batman730 wrote:
My Wife’s brother had a rock hit his foot. He got it checked out to be safe. No x-rays, doc just sent him on his way with instructions for ice, advil, etc. Turns out it was broken and the broken bone had pinched off a blood vessel.

Long story short, gangrene set in and my brother in-law is minus 1 big toe. Pretty freak thing, but I still wouldn’t screw around. I like my toes where they are. Just my 2 cents.[/quote]

Do you ever just surreptitiously wiggle your toes when your BIL is pissing you off?

'Cause I would.

Maybe not surreptitiously.

Regards,

Robert A

6

Go get it checked out…nagging foot injuries are frustrating as hell for combat sports.

7

Thanks for the feedback fellows, and I apologize for temporarily abandoning the thread.

[quote]Robert A wrote:

a.) Your left foot hurts and is visibly swollen.
[/quote]

Yes. At this point it’s only slightly visible on the left side, and hurts along the outside left side from about an inch below where the little tow meets the food to about an in from the ankle.

[quote]Robert A wrote:
b.) You first noticed the pain Saturday morning and it was severe enough to make it non-weight bearing. You are still non-weight bearing.
[/quote]

I could always walk on my heel just fine, but last saturday I had to stay totally off the ball of my foot. Now I can walk on the ball of my foot if I stay on the inside.

[quote]Robert A wrote:
c.) You cannot remember any specific trauma during sparring Friday. Rather you woke up with this.
[/quote]

It was starting to swell by the time I went to bed Friday night, but I had no clue I’d be out of training the next day. There was a inside leg kick I threw pretty soft that landed on the top of the foot, other than that I can’t remember anything that would have caused it.

[quote]Robert A wrote:

1.) Where, specifically, does it hurt? Describe as specific as possible. Other than standing on it, what else aggravates it? Is touching it painful? Is moving your ankle, toes, etc. painful?
[/quote]

It hurts on the top, far left, outside part of the foot. I guess somewhat along the bone of my little toe inside my food up to about an inch or so of my ankle. There is no pain at my ankle. Touching it is not painful, pushing on it is. Moving my ankle or toes doesn’t hurt, although I can ‘feel’ that it’s more tender.

[quote]Robert A wrote:
2.) Where is the swelling?
[/quote]

It was all along the top of my foot, it’s gone down to really being only slightly noticeable below (or above?.. towards me) from my little toe.

[quote]Robert A wrote:
3.) What makes it feel better? What makes it worse? Have you noticed more or less at any time per day, or is it constant?
[/quote]

The only thing that makes it feel worse is putting weight on it. At this point I can walk pretty normally on it slowly. Ice makes it feel better. After swimming and getting it warmed up it also feels better.

[quote]Robert A wrote:
4.) What does the pain feel like exactly?
[/quote]

A strong soreness.

[quote]Robert A wrote:
5.) What have you done for it so far, other than try to stay off it?
[/quote]

Ice and fish oil/other anti-inflammatory foods.

[quote]Robert A wrote:
6.) What leads you to say it is not broken?

[/quote]

The mobility of my toes and ankle. The pain doesn’t focus around one spot and weaken from there. Where it hurts it hurts pretty evenly. Wishful thinking.

Thanks for taking the time to respond all.

8


First Happy Easter/Passover blessings if applicable.

Spartiates,

Do you have any specific objections to getting it evaluated by a medical professional? Even a focused physical and x-ray would go a long way into ruling out or in fracture, dislocation, tendon or ligament rupture, etc. Specifically, the goal would be to find out if further treatment is needed, or at the vary least if you can continue to train on it to tolerance. If at all possible we want to avoid a situation where there is a fracture or serious injury and your pain tolerance and toughness allows you to push through the pain/warning signs and create additional problems.

Your post could describe anything from a simple bruise to a condition best handled with orthopedic intervention. If I am tracking your description, firm/forceful palpation on the top/outside of your foot is painful as is weight bearing. Weight bearing causes pain on the TOP of the foot. Am I correct?

I would want to make sure it isn’t anything serious. The easiest recommendation is to place a call into your PCP’s office now, and to call first thing tomorrow as well. If there is an insurance/money issue with going that route I would recommend going to one of the retail medicine/doc in the box plus imaging centers. They tend to be more money and time efficient than using an ER as an uninsured/poorly insured patient with a non-emergent condition. The specific line of inquiry is to get a professional to either tell you it is ok to start training/using it to kick with as soon as you can tolerate it, or to tell you why that is a bad idea.

Does that make sense?

Of course the disclaimer is that I am not YOUR DOCTOR, and non of this should be used as a substitute for medical advice/consultation.

Regards,

Robert A

9

[quote]Spartiates wrote:
We sparred pretty hard on Friday, although I didn’t think I took much damage.

Woke of the next day barely able to walk, and have pretty much had to stay off my left food since then.

This seem like a really long time. I spent the first day or so giving it use baths (dunking it in as long as I could stand). I’m really surprised it’s taking this long. I’m thinking it must have gotten spiked by a shoulder, or it was just a bad kick I didn’t notice.

In any case, any advice? I’m 90% sure nothing is broken, but the persistent swelling has me a little concerned.

Thanks.[/quote]

Obviously the only responsible advice anyone could possibly give you is “go see a doctor.” That said, going to the doctor is not fun, and ironically, the most likely advice you’ll get from a doctor is “go see a doctor,” either a specialist or the same doctor in a weeks time. If they do find anything specifically wrong with you, the only options available are surgery and ibuprofen. It kind of makes flame-out and elevation seem like an attractive option.

Here’s hoping the swelling has already gone down, rendering all this speculation pointless, and you’re back to training.