Where should I go if I hurt my foot?
If you’ve injured your foot while running, walking, cycling, or performing any other activity, you may be wondering what you should do to ensure everything is ok. The short answer is visit a foot doctor or podiatrist. There are many healthcare providers that can provide care for foot injuries. However, the best care will be provided by a doctor who specializes in the care, diagnosis and management of any foot or ankle injury. Podiatrists are doctors and surgeons of the foot and ankle. Their training consists of a four year undergraduate degree, four years of podiatric medical school, followed by a 3 to 4 year residency specializing in foot and ankle surgery and medicine. If you have a new injury to your foot or ankle and your local podiatrist can’t find a same day appointment, an urgent care that has a podiatrist or foot surgeon or staff is your best option.
Which One Do You Need – Urgent Care, Emergency Room, or Orthopedic Clinic
When you’ve suffered a foot injury there are several options available to seek medical treatment, but how do you determine which of these options is best for your situation?
Use the guide below to help you decide.
Emergency Room
If you have any of the symptoms below, it’s best to visit an emergency room immediately to be examined by an experienced emergency podiatrist.
- There are broken bones visibly coming through the skin.
- You are experiencing heavy bleeding.
- You feel dizzy or lightheaded.
Urgent Care
You may need to seek urgent care for foot injury for an injury that needs more thorough medical attention, but that does not require emergency care. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, a trip to urgent care might be in order.
- Bruising.
- Swelling that doesn’t go down after a few days of the injury occurring.
- You think that your foot may be infected. An infection is possible if the skin surrounding the injury is red, tender, or warm to the touch. You may also be experiencing a fever over 100 degrees F.
- Unable to walk or put any weight on foot.
- There is pus coming out of the foot.
- Open wound on the foot.
- Numbness, burning or tingling in the foot.
- New toe or foot deformities.
- Difficulty bearing weight or walking.
- Mild to moderate pain.
Orthopedic Clinic
Make an appointment with a podiatrist at Thousand Oaks if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:
- Pain that is bothersome but does not prevent you from doing daily activities.
- Problems or pain related to chronic deformities like bunions, high arches, flat feet, etc.
- Any problems or pain that has been occurring for weeks and is either not improving or is getting worse.
Foot Pain Remedies At Home
Minor foot injuries may not require a visit to a foot doctor. If the pain you are experiencing is manageable, and there is no significant swelling or any sign of infection, it may be possible to safely treat your injury at home.
When this is the case, be sure to follow the guidelines below.
- Ice: put an ice pack on your foot multiple times every day, for a period of 15-20 minutes each time.
- Pain medications: over the counter medications, like ibuprofen, can help reduce both swelling and pain.
- Rest: even if activities are part of your daily routine, it’s best to take a break and avoid any activity that will put more strain on your foot. These may include running, walking, biking, or hiking.
- Protection & support: use a brace or ace bandage to protect and support your foot until it heals.
Diabetes & Foot Injuries
Individuals who are diabetic have a much higher chance of having nerve damage in their feet, known as diabetic neuropathy. This nerve damage makes it much harder to feel sensations in the feet.
Patients with diabetes may not feel cuts or sores on their feet. Even if you feel that your feet are ok, it’s vital to see a doctor if you’ve had any injury to your foot. Having diabetes can also make it harder for sores or cuts on your feet to heal because diabetes weakens the normal blood flow inside the body.
Schedule An Appointment With Urgent Care Specialist
Urgent Care for Feet is an urgent care facility with on-staff podiatrist and foot surgeons that can provide care for your foot injury on the same day. Urgent Care for Feet not only has on-staff foot doctors but on site x-ray capability, casting supplies, braces, wound dressing, minor procedure rooms, and will offer follow up with the same foot doctor as your initial visit.
