Don’t Let a Foot Fracture Sideline You This Spring: 5 Signs to Watch For

It’s no surprise your feet can get tired, since they’re subjected to hundreds of tons of cumulative force every day. As warmer spring weather encourages you to get back outside, you may be adding thousands of steps to your wintertime exertions, even before you consider the demands of gardening, hikes, sports, and other activities that typically restart in April and May. 

At Hudson Valley Foot Associates in Kingston, New Windsor, Wappingers Falls, Hudson, Red Hook, Margaretville, and West Coxsackie, New York, we want to keep you aware that the bones of your feet are not invincible. Foot fractures can slow you down or bring your entire life to a halt. 

Recognizing a fracture helps you seek timely treatment and minimize the injury's impact. Here’s what you need to know this spring. 

Foot fractures

Some of the 26 bones in each of your feet are small, making them vulnerable to fracture. Broken bones in the feet are quite common. Accidents, falls, and sports participation are among the most common causes of foot fractures. 

It’s easy to think of broken bones as similar to breaking a stick, and some fractures do indeed resemble a snapped twig. Foot fractures, though, can also take other forms. 

Dropping a heavy weight on your foot can cause the bones of the foot to shatter. Repeated strain on your feet can cause micro injuries to bones that aren’t a problem on a daily basis, but become an issue as the damage accumulates without time for recovery. 

Stress fractures are generally associated with activities and sports that put your feet under high strain, things like dance, running, basketball, and football. Conventional and crushing fractures usually result from blunt trauma, dropped objects, falling, or sudden exposure to high-energy events like car accidents. 

5 signs of foot fractures to watch for 

Typically, pain starts immediately with conventional or crushing foot fractures, while stress fractures might start slowly and get worse over time. Here are five of the most common symptoms of foot fractures: 

Pain

The nature of pain may vary. It can be sharp, throbbing, or intermittent. You may find the pain abates as you rest, though sometimes stress fractures continue even when you’re not putting weight on the foot. The pain tends to originate from the fracture site. 

Bruising

Black, blue, or red discolorations tend to form at the site of your foot fracture. While not immediate, these bruises tend to form shortly after the initial injury. Stress fractures sometimes don’t form bruises, or discoloration may not be pronounced. 

Swelling

Sudden foot fractures often feature significant and equally sudden swelling. Stress fractures can include swelling, which is not always noticeable in the early stages of the injury. 

Weight bearing

Foot fractures can make it difficult or impossible to put weight on the affected foot. You may not be able to walk without an assistive device or a limp. With stress fractures, bearing weight becomes more difficult as pain increases. 

Deformity

Serious foot fractures may feature changes in your foot shape, along with other symptoms. Any deformity of the foot may be the result of a fracture. 

When you have foot pain or suspect a fracture, contact Hudson Valley Foot Associates at our nearest location. Call or click to book your visit today.