Foot Fractures

• Be safe with medicines. Take pain medicines exactly as directed.
  • If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
  • If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine.
• Do not put any weight on the injured foot. If you were given crutches, use them as directed.
• Put ice or a cold pack on your foot for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Try to do this every 1 to 2 hours for the next 3 days (when you are awake) or until the swelling goes down. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.
• Prop up the sore foot on a pillow anytime you sit or lie down during the next 3 days. Try to keep it above the level of your heart. This will help reduce swelling.
• If you have a cast, follow the care instructions your doctor gives you.
• If you have a splint, leave the splint on until your follow-up appointment. Do not take it off unless your doctor tells you to.
• Take care of your splint.
  • If you have a removable splint, ask your doctor if it is okay to remove it to bathe. Your doctor may want you to keep it on as much as possible.
  • Keep your plaster splint covered by taping a sheet of plastic around it when you bathe. Water under the plaster can cause your skin to itch and hurt.
  • Never cut your splint.

Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:

• You have chest pain, are short of breath, or you cough up blood.

Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:

• You have new or worse pain. Your foot is cool or pale or changes color.
• You have tingling, weakness, or numbness in your toes.
• Your cast or splint feels too tight.You have signs of a blood clot in your leg (called a deep vein thrombosis), such as:
  • Pain in your calf, back of the knee, thigh, or groin.
  • Redness or swelling in your leg.

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

• You have a problem with your splint or cast.
• You do not get better as expected.