Foot pain for 6 weeks

DISCLAIMER:
THE FOLLOWING IS OFFERED GRATIS AS GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY, AND, AS SUCH, MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE TO THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONER AND/OR HIS/HER PROBLEM. IT IS CLEARLY NOT BASED ON ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND/OR EXAMINATION OF THE QUESTIONER OR HIS/HER MEDICAL HISTORY, AND IT CAN NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS DEFINITIVE MEDICAL OPINION OR ADVICE. ONLY THROUGH HANDS- ON PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH THE ACTUAL PATIENT CAN ACCURATE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS BE ESTABLISHED AND SPECIFIC ADVICE BE GIVEN. NO DOCTOR/PATIENT RELATIONSHIP IS CREATED OR ESTABLISHED OR MAY BE INFERRED. THE QUESTIONER AND/OR READER IS INSTRUCTED TO CONSULT HIS OR HER OWN DOCTOR BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS CONTAINED HEREIN, AND TO ACT ONLY UPON HIS/HER OWN DOCTOR’S ORDERS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. BY THE READING OF MY POSTING WHICH FOLLOWS, THE READER STIPULATES AND CONFIRMS THAT HE/SHE FULLY UNDERSTANDS THIS DISCLAIMER AND HOLDS HARMLESS THIS WRITER. IF THIS IS NOT FULLY AGREEABLE TO YOU, THE READER, AND/OR YOU HAVE NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF 18 YEARS, YOU HEREBY ARE ADMONISHED TO READ NO FURTHER.
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Obviously, by history, you've sustained a traumatic injury, and you certainly have a few symptomatic complaint which require assessment. You need a comprehensive hands-on evaluation, beginning with a through description describing the mechanics of the injury as you recall them. The responsibility of the doctor or doctors whom you've already seen was to form some sort of working diagnosis as to the nature of your injuries, and I haven't heard any of that from you. Anyone can give out pain and anti-inflammatory meds, but if you haven't quizzed your doctors on a diagnosis, I think that you should have. If they have no idea of a diagnosis whatsoever, I think that they didn't do their job very well. But no one could possibly be able to offer anything but blind guesses as to what sort of damage was done and what can be done for it without an actual examination.

One further comment . . "JUST a sprain" is downplaying just what severe injuries sprain can be, how long the recuperative period might be and how good might be the prognosis. You need a good doctors assessment and care, not blind and perhaps unfounded opinions on the Internet.

 

Thank you for your speedy reply.

The difficulty I have is that I live in France and although I speak french, I worry that I am not maybe giving all the information to the doctor he needs to help me. Before you suggest, no there isn't an english speaking specialist available!

The specialist did do a thorough hands-on examination. It was extremely painful in parts, which is why he suggested the 2nd set of xrays as he was convinced I had a fracture somewhere. However, after spending some considerable time looking at both sets of xrays, he couldn't find anything.

I realize it's impossible to diagnose anything over the internet, but I wasn't after that. I just don't know how long I should wait or expect to wait for the swelling to go down. For me 6 weeks seems an absolute age, but I don't know if that is just to be expected.

Should I go back to the specialist do you think or is it just going to take a bit longer for the swelling to go down ? Is there anything else I can do in the way of self-help to aid the recovery ?

I do value your opinions, but obviously I am not relying on them as a diagnosis, simply as a help and guide in an area I have no expertize whatsoever.

Thanks again

 

DISCLAIMER:
THE FOLLOWING IS OFFERED GRATIS AS GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY, AND, AS SUCH, MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE TO THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONER AND/OR HIS/HER PROBLEM. IT IS CLEARLY NOT BASED ON ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND/OR EXAMINATION OF THE QUESTIONER OR HIS/HER MEDICAL HISTORY, AND IT CAN NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS DEFINITIVE MEDICAL OPINION OR ADVICE. ONLY THROUGH HANDS- ON PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH THE ACTUAL PATIENT CAN ACCURATE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS BE ESTABLISHED AND SPECIFIC ADVICE BE GIVEN. NO DOCTOR/PATIENT RELATIONSHIP IS CREATED OR ESTABLISHED OR MAY BE INFERRED. THE QUESTIONER AND/OR READER IS INSTRUCTED TO CONSULT HIS OR HER OWN DOCTOR BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS CONTAINED HEREIN, AND TO ACT ONLY UPON HIS/HER OWN DOCTOR’S ORDERS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. BY THE READING OF MY POSTING WHICH FOLLOWS, THE READER STIPULATES AND CONFIRMS THAT HE/SHE FULLY UNDERSTANDS THIS DISCLAIMER AND HOLDS HARMLESS THIS WRITER. IF THIS IS NOT FULLY AGREEABLE TO YOU, THE READER, AND/OR YOU HAVE NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF 18 YEARS, YOU HEREBY ARE ADMONISHED TO READ NO FURTHER.
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Especially in light of the dorsal swelling proximal to the toes, what I might be considering is a stress-type or hairline fracture of the metatarsal. Although such fractures are frequently not evident in the near-term after the causative event, if such a fracture has been incurred, generally there should be some indication of healing process which might be seen on x-ray by now. The diagnosis of a stress or micro-fracture is most often made based on such evidence of healing process on delayed x-rays. A bone scan might have shown such a fracture sooner, but by now, standard x-rays would most likely be adequate for determination. Other possibilities might be either hyper-extension or forceful hyper-flexion of the toes, perhaps with some tendon injuries and joint capsule and/or ligament damage. As you noted, this is in no way a diagnosis, but just a list of possibilities based on what you had stated to be your symptoms and complaints. Do NOT proceed with treatment of your own based on these guesses, as that might be harmful to your condition and prognosis. Check back, instead, with your doctor. I think that it goes without saying that good communication between doctor and patient in relation to telling the story of the event and stating symptoms and advising of treatment progress is essential for the best chances of a happy outcome.

 

Hi, Just want to know how long before the swelling of your foot went down, as you had mentioned that the swelling was there for six weeks already.

Thanks, Diane