Severe Pain In The Middle Of Your Foot? It's More Than Just A Sprain
If the pain in the middle of your foot is so severe that it keeps you from walking, standing, or even sleeping at night, you might think that you sprained it. You may actually have a Lisfranc injury instead, which affects the bones, ligaments, or both tissues in the middle of the foot. Simple home care remedies may not be enough to heal your injury. Here's more information about Lisfranc injuries and what you can do to get healthy again.
What's a Lisfranc Injury?
The middle of your foot is composed of the Lisfranc joint, which is the area where the metatarsal bones of the forefoot meet the smaller bones of the arch, or midfoot. A strong tissue known as the Lisfranc ligament holds or connects the second long metatarsal bone to one of the smaller arch bones. Cartilage covers the joints of the midfoot bones and protects them from friction and wear and tear. Lisfranc injuries can occur in many different ways.
For example, you can injure the midfoot bones and ligament if you twist your foot or ankle in the wrong way, or if you drop something very heavy on your foot and fracture the midfoot bones. Stepping down too fast or hard may cause an injury. You can also experience problems if you have a medical condition that damages the cartilage covering the midfoot bones.
Although Lisfranc injuries can be very painful at any time, the discomfort increases when you stand or walk. You might see swelling and discoloration, or bruising, on the top of your foot. However, bruising can develop on the lower foot arch in severe injuries.
If the ligament tears completely, it can displace the joint between the short bones of the foot. Your foot might appear larger or wider than before as well because the joints no longer bind together properly. Sometimes, multiple bones fracture along with ligament tears. In this case, your pain may feel even worse, especially if you wear a shoe that squeezes or covers the foot completely.
One of the best ways to overcome your severe pain is to seek professional treatment.
How Do You Treat a Lisfranc Injury?
A podiatrist is one specialist who can diagnose and possibly treat your midfoot injury. A foot doctor will most likely take X-rays, an MRI, or CT scan of your injury to make a proper diagnosis. The images produced by diagnostic tools can reveal the severity of your injury, as well as its exact location.
If your injury doesn't affect multiple bones or the Lisfranc ligament, you'll generally wear a brace or immobilizer on your foot to heal it. It's important to keep all weight-bearing activities to a minimal during the healing process. You can cause additional injuries in your foot if you don't follow your doctor's orders properly.
You have multiple treatment options available to repair the damage in your foot, including surgery. A podiatrist may refer you to a surgeon to complete the repairs to your foot. A surgeon can either place metal plates in your foot to join the bones together, or they can reattach the ligament to your bones. Some surgeries require the use of "screws" to hold the damaged bones in place. Your surgery options can vary, depending on your overall health and injury.
After treatment, you can avoid another injury by wearing protective footwear during sports and other activities. Your shoes or sneakers should support your ankles so that they don't roll or twist when you step down. Also, protect the arches of your feet with shock-absorbent shoe inserts or cushions. If in doubt about what to wear or use for your footwear, consult directly with a podiatrist at a clinic like Elmhurst Podiatry Center Ltd.
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