Wednesday 27 April 2011

How to Deal with Foot or Ankle Fractures

Foot and ankle injuries are among the most common orthopedic injuries. Some of the main causes of foot and ankle injuries are accidents while playing sports, driving a car, riding a bike, or climbing stairs. These foot and ankle injuries can vary in severity, depending upon the intensity of accidents. Regardless of severity, those injured want the best podiatry services. This article discusses some of the most important suggestions for people who fracture a foot or ankle.


First Reaction after the Accident
Accidents can happen with anybody, anytime. Just imagine this situation: You are at home expecting some special guests. The doorbell rings, and you hurry downstairs from your bedroom upstairs to open the door. Unluckily, you slip on the stairs and experience severe pain in your ankle. This case of an accident causing ankle or foot injuries is typical. In just a few short moments, you can go from feeling happy to feeling intense pain.

What should you do if injured in this kind of situation? The initial reaction after an accident is very important, because even a little negligence can increase the severity of injury. First, you need be calm and seek assistance. Don’t try to walk immediately after the accident. Stay still for some time and evaluate the severity of your foot or ankle pain. If it’s just muscle strain, the pain will ease after some time with no further effects. Severe pain, swelling, bruising, deformation or immobility can be symptoms of a fracture, however.

Next, you should call an ambulance or ask someone to take you to a reputable podiatrist nearby. At a podiatric clinic, the expert podiatrists examine the injury with help of an X-ray and suggest further treatment based on their findings.

Post Treatment Care
Minor foot or ankle fractures should not require surgery. But in the case of multiple fractures at the ankle joint or knee, surgery is needed. In any case, people need to take utmost care. They are advised to maintain little or no mobility, as suggested by the podiatrists. Special exercises directed by physiotherapists can aid quick healing of fractured foot or ankle bones. Remember, accidents happen due to negligence, but post treatment negligence can result in lifelong problems. Therefore, any kind of negligence during the healing process should be strictly avoided.

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