Sprained Foot Symptoms

The fact that our foot contains 28 bones and 57 joints makes it vulnerable to a range of problems. Among these foot problems, one of the most common problem is that of a sprained foot. A sprain is basically an injury to the ligament - a fibrous tissue which connects two bones to each other. Such an injury generally occurs due to stretching or tearing of the tissue.

On the basis of the severity of these tears, the sprain can be categorized as Grade I, Grade II or Grade III sprain. The same procedure is followed in case of sprains in the foot. In fact, its symptoms play a crucial role in its grading. Basically, grade I injury is characterized by microscopic tears, grade II injury by a partial tear while grade III injury is characterized by completely torn ligaments.

Symptoms of a Sprained Foot

Generally, foot sprains tend to occur in two distinct areas of the foot - the midfoot and the first metatarsophalangeal joint (also referred to as the turf toe). That being said, foot sprain symptoms by and large depend on which area of your foot is affected. The basic difference would be that the midfoot and the surrounding region will be affected in the case of midfoot sprain, whereas the base of the big toe will be affected in case of the first metatarsophalangeal joint sprain. When we say affected, we refer to the swelling and tenderness that will be experienced in the particular part of the foot.

Other than the most common symptoms i.e. the sharp foot pain, in case of the midfoot, and big toe pain, in case of the turf toe, you might also observe discoloration of the skin, typically a black bluish appearance of the skin, at the affected area. One should also take a note of the fact that sprained foot signs and symptoms depend on the severity of the injury. While mild or moderate injury will result in the aforementioned foot pain symptoms, more severe injury will hamper the weight bearing ability of that particular foot, thus leading to a lot of inconvenience. Similarly, though the person will experience swelling and pain in the toe in case of a sprained toe, the joint will seldom be affected.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The medical practitioner will take all these symptoms of a sprained foot into consideration during the diagnosis as these symptoms play a crucial role in determining ideal treatment options. During the diagnosis, the doctor will also look into your lifestyle, i.e. your occupation, the recreational activities you indulge in etc. The flexibility, and the range of motion of the affected foot will also be taken into consideration. In case of severe injury, you will be advised to go for an X-ray.

Basically, the injury will heal with time, but you need to take some precautions to make sure that the condition doesn't result in further complications. In case of mild or moderate sprain, you will be subjected to the RICE rule of treatment:

• Rest the joint.
• Ice the injured area to reduce swelling.
• Compress the swelling with an elastic bandage.
• Elevate the injured area.

In severe injuries, the affected foot will be put in cast and immobilized, as putting excess weight on it is likely to worsen the condition. In case of turf toe, the person will be advised to wear stiff-soled shoes or spring-steel shoe insert.

On an average, the recovery time for sprained foot may range anywhere between 1 or 2 weeks, depending on the severity of the injury. One also has to take a note of the fact that the healing time largely depends on how the precautionary measures, which need to be taken to make sure that the injury is not aggravated, are followed. If proper care is not taken, there are significant chances that the sprain will result in some severe foot problem, such as 'chronic foot pain', which are worse than the sprain itself.