Foot Sprain or Fracture?

Question

I was at a park yesterday, some running and much standing in line in very comfortable flip flops. I might have landed on my foot oddly but nothing painful that I can recall. After the 3 hours in the car, when I returned home, my foot/ankle hurt. I thought maybe it was just sore muscles. Now, the next day, its absolutely unbearable. Athletic, I know my share about the body and identifying and treating pains and unjuries. But my foot, im clueless. The pain is on the underside of my foot. Almost in my heel, where my heel and arch meets, but not my arch. It's also on the side of my foot around the same area. The pain is worsened when I apply weight to the side of my foot and when I do, it travels up to my ankle as well. I cannot walk. I'm a dancer and I'm petrified if it's something bad and it's great great pain. What is it??

Answer 1

It could be a sprain or fracture like you think, or it could simply be a bad bruise to the heel or a pulled muscle. a lot of different afflictions can cause that sort of pain, if it's swollen or bruised it is likely that you may have sprained or broken something. It sounds as though the pain is unbearable enough to take a visit to the doctor so that they can diagnose exactly what is wrong with your foot. in the mean time I would try alternating heat and cold on your foot, such as ice packs and hot baths. Good luck and feel better!

Answer 2

Neither - you have plantar fasciitis. Wearing flip-flops is the worst thing you can do for your feet. They don't offer any arch support. I have suffered from this on a few occasions and the only relieve I found was using special orthotics and sleep aids that help stretch the tendon. Please see the websites below for full details. I had surgery the first time and will never do that nor recommend that again. Try everything else first because the surgery is the most horrible thing I've ever gone through and I've had many surgeries in my life.  

Answer 3

if you can stand on it, it's probably not fractured.however, as you can't walk, i would recommend you go to the doctor to get it checked out, just in case, and buy an ankle brace at walmart if you don't get a cast.

Answer 4

i dont know for sure, but i used to run in flip flops, and i ended up having a problem with the arch in my foot- it hurt so bad in fact that i went to a doctor and he told me to wear gym shoes with a supportive sole for the next year as much as possible.  now my problem is gone and im free to wear flip flops. But... i also had torn tendons in my ankles and sprained them kind of a lot so thats another variable that might make my sitch different.

Answer 5

Only an xray machine can answer this question ....

Answer 6

Yes, you could have sprained or fractured it. I recommend you talk to your doctor and see what they say.  

Answer 7

Sounds like a sprain but you better go to the doctor for verification.

Answer 8

There are lots of ligaments in the foot and the deltoid ligament and spring ligament are both in the general area you are talking about.

These ligaments =could have been strained if you were in flat shoes and standing/walking for long periods of time.

Add to that that you are a dancer and may have damaged either or both of these ligaments slightly in the past.

The fact that it travels up the ankle implies that a nerve or tendon is involved somehow.

Go to the doctor, get an x-ray done and ask for a referral to physiotherapy or massage therapy for treatment.

I would hate to see a career in dance affected because of flip flops. Please get it checked out and treated. Hope you are up and around soon.