stepped on foot not getting better... ???

[pintopiaffe]

Almost two weeks ago now the little medicine hat mare planted her right foot on my right foot.

I've yet to quite figure out how I got myself THERE... but I was wearing muck shoes, and she did the whole lean'n'grindn'turn rather than getting OFF my foot... :sigh: :no:

It still hurts. Bruising doesn't indicate breakage, nor did anything at the time (you know, nausea, shocky feeling etc.) It's kind of the middle of the foot. Underneath it's the middle of the ball of the foot, if that makes sense. On top it's where the straps of Dr. Scholl's sandals would go. (yea, I'm dating myself. :p ) Not toes, not arch, but in between.

It's sort of possible I broke one of the little bones, but I've done that before and really don't think so this time. Externally there's barely even any brusing. I"m thinking soft tissue or tendon stuff?

Is there anything you can DO for that?

Please don't just say "go to the Doc" because that's not an option right at this moment. Another few weeks it will be, but right now, it's not. I'm wondering if any topicals would help? NSAIDS? Ice? Heat? DMSO? (kidding on the last... mostly... :uhoh: )

I'm on my feet a LOT in the new job, which is FABULOUS... when my foot doesn't hurt. :sigh:

[AmandaandTuff]

I don't know what to say besides go to the Dr. My mare stepped on my ankle yesterday after a fall and I broke a small bone.

[cllane1]

Youch. I'd say load up on the NSAIDS. When I was having a TMJ flare-up earlier this year, my dentist had me take an adult dose of ibuprofen every 2-3 hours for 5 days, to let it build up in my system. I thought I'd be frying my liver, but it did help, and she said it's safe to load up like that for a week or so.

Does wrapping it make it feel better? Can you wrap it and still wear your work shoes?

How about using Thermaflex, Sore No More, or any kind of equine linimint you've got?

Other than that, I'd say RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, when you can.

[Brown Horse]

I'm having the same thing in my little toe...I'm actually thinking it just might be broke now. I can move it a little though. I wish I had some good advice for you. I just taped my toe to the one next to it and I'm finally getting myself over to the clinic tomorrow (...probably :)). But I wouldn't know what to do about the foot!

I had a funny dream about DMSO once...I dreamt that I slathered it all over my lower legs, and a minute later a green line formed on the back of my calves and I could feel all my blood going to my feet!

[tikihorse2]

Wrap it, or see if you can get a "boot" from a medical supply store.

Hope you feel better soon!

Kim

[Woodland]

Lots of great advice so far. Be sure and get checked for type 2 diabetes if you don't repair as quickly as you use to.

[pintopiaffe]

well, DUH. Haven't actually tried compression. :uhoh: :p

Will try the vetrap tomorrow. :yes:

As misery loves company, it's nice to not be alone... BUT... I hope everyone else's 'sore feet' get better soon too!! It's a PITA to be NQR when you have to 'stay in work and can't afford stall rest." :lol:

[twofatponies]

I know it's hard to do the ice and elevation during the day, when you are busy, especially if the pain is not so severe that you can hobble around...

I found it really helps though.

Simply propping foot on a chair while eating your meals, for example, is better than nothing.

Also sleep with two pillows under your calf/lower leg (so the knee is bent)- that helps, too. You can pull the blankets up from the bottom of the bed so your foot sticks out, and avoid pressure from the blankets forcing your foot downward.

[Beverley]

Funny thing- I have a very colorful pinkie toe from being stepped on by a friend's horse yesterday. Didn't stop me from getting on and riding for 8.5 hours- and even today, it's more colorful than painful (admittedly ouchier in shoes). But I don't think it's broken.

Some years back, my tb stepped full force with his shod foot on my left foot while exiting his stall at the gallop to go back into the field. That hurt. I was wearing wellies and thick socks and it still broke the skin. Thought to myself it was surely broken- hobbled as quick as I could to my truck, so I could drive home and get the automatic transmission car, so I could drive myself to the emergency clinic before the foot got to throbbing so badly I couldn't depress the clutch.

Surprisingly, no breaks- but considerable soft tissue damage. Which, the doctor cheerfully informed me, could be worse than broken bones. He said that in a crush injury like mine, one often loses skin. Anyhow- I was furnished with crutches, told to use those crutches for 5 days, and otherwise elevate/ice/NSAIDs, etc. I also got some of those off the shelf ankle/foot support braces which helped considerably. Two weeks later, when I was starting a new job after a few years of 'maternity leave,' I was able to wear a shoe, and hobble along okay, but it did hurt for quite a while- took a good 6-8 weeks to heal. (Doesn't mean I didn't ride, though- got dispensation from MFH to wear a Wellie on that foot since it took a while to be able to get boots on).

[ReSomething]

I stubbed my toe and probably broke it last um, April? I screwed up by not going to the doctor, (figured why bother, just tape it up,) as I could have gotten an excuse and used my sick leave, as it was I used a lot of my annual leave to go home as soon as my unit was done instead of report elsewhere for an hour or two each night - bought a pair of extra wide shoes and they saved me, but watch out - I'm on my feet for the eight hours and favoring that foot for a month did my back no good at all either, next stop was the chiro.
Wrap it good, and take care. No foot, no person either.

[Vesper Sparrow]

Arnica gel for the bruising. It's cooling and soothing, if nothing else.
I wouldn't use heat.

[mswillie]

Seconding R.I.C.E. rest, ice, compression, elevation. If you can't do that during the day at least try it in the evenings.

[Bluey]

I don't know how, maybe jumping off a fence, but I broke the outside three long bones in the foot, close to the ball of the foot, one March.
I limped around all summer until I had a check up in October and mentioned it to the dr, that ordered x-rays and sent me to an orthopedist.
He said next time please come when it happens, now they have healed and we can't do much for them.
He added an insert to the foot to try to correct the angle and that helped, I wore it for long time.

The most important, he said, is to wear some kind of foot gear with thick, stiffer soles, like hiking boots.
I wore those for many years for everything, even riding and after that the foot has been fine and now I can wear anything.

I say go to the dr now, it may save you money later.
If you can't, I don't know what ails your foot, but you could try hiking boots for a while and see if that helps with the pain.:yes:

[FatPalomino]

If you can't, I don't know what ails your foot, but you could try hiking boots for a while and see if that helps with the pain.:yes:

Totally agree.

I broke a toe playing soccer. I thought I should just tape it to the toe next door. Made the pain totally acceptable, still played that year. Only problem, come to find out, the toe next door was broke too. They healed like jigsaw puzzle pieces (the fit together!) and one is wedged and stuck up... really bother my paddock boots now. The doctor said let's rebreak it.... I declined and just deal with it.

I'm pretty sure I broke a toe just at the base of my pinky toe 3-4 weeks ago. Skipped the doctor, like you have to. Great shoes make the world of difference- I couldn't walk barefoot for the first few weeks. But I went hiking last weekend, all weekend, with great hiking boots and socks.

Good news: even the worst of my toe breaks have felt all better at 4 weeks on the dot. I hope you've only got a week left!

[CarolinaGirl]

Totally not horse related, but I "stepped" off the edge of the road running about two days ago. Rolled my ankle and I of course fell... thank god no one saw my stupidity. Needless to say I came home, showered, and immediately wrapped and put ice on it, as well as taking some ibuprofen. It's still achey but I'm pretty sure its mostly just bruising as its only been a few days.
My brother a few weeks ago essentially did the same thing, rolled his ankle, playing tennis. Only difference is he did his left ankle and I did my right lol. He ended up having to go to the doctor for xrays the next day.. nothing broken but the tendons and ligaments were really irritated. Anyway it's been about two weeks and he's still not better.. return to the doctor and he's getting a lace up brace, is supposed to continue to ice it, take anti-inflammatory meds, and go to physical therapy.
It could still be a broken bone. Had a teacher in HS, athletic trainer no less, who walked around for ages with some pain in his foot and when he finally went to the doctor he ended up having a broken arch.

[Simkie]

Soft tissue injuries in the foot can take FOR EVER to heal.

Wear stiff-soled shoes, load up on your NSAIDs and keep up on them (I'll stack Aleve and Tylenol, personally) and ice it. When it hurts, take it easy on it. Pushing through the pain and making a point to weight it evenly when you walk doesn't help the healing process. You might be able to find a bootie thing at a medical supply store with a completely stiff sole made of wood--that would help a lot.

It still might be broken, but there's just a ton of soft tissue in the foot, too. From tendons and ligaments to the gristle under your arch. I tore that stuff once, and you just wouldn't believe how bad THAT hurt.

[kdow]

I agree with the RICE and also with loading up on your NSAID of choice - not as in taking more than the recommended dose, but as in taking it every X hours - as per bottle - religiously for several days, even if you're not sore at the time the next dose is due. (This is what my rheumatologist recommends for people with mild to moderate arthritis.)

(If you have a history of clotting problems or stomach issues, you should probably consult a pharmacist before choosing which NSAID to use. They should be able to advise you on which one is likely to be best for you.)

Speaking of rheumatologists - depending on your age, what may well be happening is just a flare up of arthritis. As I discovered a couple of years ago, it's entirely possible to have arthritis happily building up between some of the small bones of your foot and be completely unaware of it because normal use doesn't irritate it to the point of pain, and then do damage to your foot somehow (I was climbing up and down a ladder helping my dad with the roof) and it goes and flares up. If that is the case then RICE and NSAIDs should do the trick as much as anything will. Maybe also make sure you're wearing properly supportive shoes so long as they don't make the pain worse.

[DressageGeek "Ribbon Ho"]

There are numerous small bones in your foot, that are non weight bearing, and you could have broken one or more of those. Elevate, anti inflammatories, but get it checked out if it still bothers you.

Hope you heal quickly!

[Raleigh's Mom]

Soft tissue injuries in the foot can take FOR EVER to heal.

Wear stiff-soled shoes, load up on your NSAIDs and keep up on them (I'll stack Aleve and Tylenol, personally) and ice it. When it hurts, take it easy on it. Pushing through the pain and making a point to weight it evenly when you walk doesn't help the healing process. You might be able to find a bootie thing at a medical supply store with a completely stiff sole made of wood--that would help a lot.

It still might be broken, but there's just a ton of soft tissue in the foot, too. From tendons and ligaments to the gristle under your arch. I tore that stuff once, and you just wouldn't believe how bad THAT hurt.


What Simkie said. I had my foot stepped on in May and was out of the saddle for a good 6 weeks. After 2 weeks of hobbling around, I went to the doctor and got an x-ray. Nothing broken, just tons of swelling and soft tissue damage. It still is not 100% back to normal.

You might look into Bromelain. It really helped me with the swelling. I did have to live in Crocks for a while. With the swelling that I had, any other shoes were painful.

[Guin]

Seconding R.I.C.E. rest, ice, compression, elevation. If you can't do that during the day at least try it in the evenings.


You beat me to RICE. This, for five days. After 5 days the ice does nothing - you've finished bleeding!! Definitely keep it wrapped up, if you can.

[pintopiaffe]

Wow. GREAT info guys.

While it is possible I broke a little bone, I really, really don't think so. I've broken *enough* little bones to know the other stuff that goes with it. Soft tissue... :sigh:

I forgot about bromelain! It worked WONDERS on one of my horses. Bromelain and... um... Bioflavanoids.

Light duty day today, just a detail and then home. I might even be nice to myself. ;)

And I *know* well about stacking OTC NSAIDS... I dunno why I haven't been. Y'all are FABULOUS. I'm glad I asked. Sometimes we forget even the obvious. If it was my HORSE, OTOH... :uhoh: :lol: :p

[Moderator 1]

We want to keep the general human medical advice threads to a minimum, even if our maladies do often come at the hooves of our little darlings...

Best wishes to the OP for a complete recovery!
Mod 1