This is a very common question. If you sustain a foot or ankle injury, you should seek immediate treatment from a podiatrist. However, you can take several steps to treat the injury until you can receive medical attention.
*Stop exercising or walking on the injured foot. The idea of "working through the pain" or "letting it resolve on its own" does not apply when it comes to foot and ankle injuries! Continuing to put pressure on an injured foot or ankle can be disastrous if there is a fracture or tendon rupture.
*Gently place a plastic bag of ice on the injured area for 20 minutes each hour. It helps to put a towel between the ice bag and the skin to prevent skin damage. Do not place the ice directly on the skin even if it feels numb and does not "burn." If there is nerve damage or a lot of swelling, you may not feel the normal sensations of the skin. So it's important to know this before an injury occurs so that you are well prepared if one does happen.
*Lightly wrap an elastic bandage around the area, taking care not to pull it too tight. If it's too tight, you will notice numbness or tingling sensations in the toes and color changes in the toes. If either of these occur, the bandage is too tight and will need to be removed and rewrapped.
*Elevate your foot so that it is higher than your waist. Ideally, elevate it so that it is level with your heart, but if you can't do that, then the waist is next best. What you want to avoid is more swelling, and keeping your foot dangling down will increase swelling and pain.
*For bleeding injuries, clease well, apply pressure with gauze or a towel and cover with a clean dressing. Just use basic first aid common knowledge here. But one thing you can do for your doctor is to not apply colored antiseptics that stain the skin, such as mercurochrome, to your wounds before arriving at your doctor's office. It makes it difficult for us to evaluate the skin when it's stained dark purple or hot pink!
*Put on a soft shoe or slipper that can accommodate a bulky dressing. Common sense, I know, but some patients have arrived at my office in the past with a swollen foot or ankle squeezed into a tight shoe, limping, and wondering why it hurts so much!
Most importantly, NEVER ignore a foot or an ankle injury, no matter how minor it may seem! The pain from an injury could cause you to favor the injured limb, resulting in permanent knee and back problems.
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