A foot injury is one of the most difficult plights you can have. Your feet are your body’s foundation. When they are damaged, your life becomes severely restricted. Not to mention it’s quite painful.
Obviously, you want to recover as quickly as possible. You’re tired of being sore and stuck. But you must put your impatience aside and replace it with self-care. Otherwise, you could hurt yourself all over again.
Today, we’re going to show you how to have a speedy recovery, so you can get back on your feet and to your life.
1. Stay Under a Doctor’s Care
We’re going to delve into self-care, but you can’t do this on your own. You need a podiatrist.
Book and appointment and follow their instructions to the letter. Whatever activities they tell you to avoid, take their word for it. Not doing this is how people have made their injuries much worse than they initially were.
Find somewhere local. For example, if you live in Chattanooga, TN, you need to find podiatrists in Chattanooga TN. Don’t try to venture out further. You don’t want to be in a situation where you’re far away from home with a crippling injury.
2. Ice it Down
Ice is a wondrous thing that is often not given the credit it’s due. It’s a natural remedy to pain.
The more inflammation a wound is allowed to have, the worse the pain will be, and the longer it will take to recover. This means you’ll be delaying the time you get to return to your normal life.
For the first two days, it will need icing every few hours between 15 and 20 times each session. Be diligent in this practice.
3. Keep Weight off of It
You’ll re-injure yourself if you try to place too much pressure on it. When you are sitting, place a cushion underneath your foot so you won’t expose your injured foot to the harsh floor for long periods of time.
If you regularly play a sport, you’ll have to make accommodations for yourself. I know you want to get back into your normal routines. But remember, how you treat yourself during your injury is how it’s going to heal. You can miss out on a few weeks by taking a rest, or have problems for the rest of your life by pushing it.
4. Get Back Into Movement Slowly
Slowly is the operative word. It cannot be stressed enough. If you don’t move your foot, it can cause it to heal incorrectly. However, if you push it, you can cause re-injury.
Get onto a schedule of daily stretching exercises. Start out small and brief, and then build up. You might start out with some light yoga to get you started.
Know your limits. If something starts to feel too uncomfortable, pull back or stop. This is a time you need to listen to your body more than ever.
5. Check Home Remedies
Watch your diet right now. What we eat affects our entire body, not just the stomach. This means you’re going to have to put away spicy foods right now. Find out which foods contain anti-inflammatory properties.
Follow these guidelines as well:
- Epsom salt treatments.
- Give the injured area a daily massage.
- Apple cider vinegar; this might sound strange, but its acidic quality fights inflammation.
If the pain becomes unbearable, check with your podiatrist for pain relievers if you need them.
On The Mend
What you don’t do is just as important as what you do. The measures you must take right now are frustrating. However, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of trouble later down the road.
If you take this time for yourself, you can put this uncomfortable time behind you.
