Torn Tendon in Foot

Tendons are those fibrous tissues which attach the muscles to the bone in the human body. It would be further interesting to know that the pressure or force applied on them can sometimes even go up to 5 times the weight of our body. From the description it is pretty evident that tendons are extremely crucial for our bones as well as muscles. Hence obviously if something happens to them due to any reason, it is going to be really problematic. In worst cases, these can even get ruptured or torn. Most of the time, the ones in our feet are at the helm of an injury.

Symptoms

There are a number of signs and indications if you have ruptured a tendon. These signs make you very uncomfortable and affect your mobility. The symptoms, accompanied by a 'popping' effect are as follows -

1: Pain, obviously, is the top symptom. That is an immediate effect of any such impact or an injury, right? So pain in the area is the first thing which will be experienced in that case. Of course the pain would depend on how severe is the injury and it will be there even when there is no activity.

2: As there is pain and discomfort, it leads to limited mobility. For instance, in an Achilles tendon injury, the range of the activity of the area concerned will be restricted or even come to a stand still if it is a serious tear. There is a certain stiffness in that area due to the tear.

3: Swelling and bruising is another symptom of this foot problem. Swelling because the fluid from the joint sacs and around that area start flowing in that direction and soft tissues irritation leading to fluid retention. Bruising, where the affected area gets red (because of trauma to the capillaries) happens almost immediately along with swelling and inflammation.

4: There is a certain weakness in the affected area. That applies to even a partially tendon tear. The person may find it difficult to stand as the weight bearing area has been damaged due to the injury.

Sometimes, loss of arch of the foot can be a result of untreated injuries. Tendon can be ruptured due to injury of a major impact (encountered by sportsmen), wear and tear because of age, joint related problems, or even steroid injection.

Treatment

Well, as is the case with any other injury, the severity determines what course of treatment would be required for healing. Here are a few things which can be done immediately after you sustain an injury to your tendon.

Rest
Taking rest and not exerting that part of the foot is the first thing you have to do. If you call a doctor, he will make sure that you would not move your feet. Resting the injured area is very important.

Hot Compress
Compressing that area with the help of a hot water bag or the like and then tying it up lightly is another way to deal with it. It helps soothe the area and reduces the pain and discomfort.

Elevate the Foot
While sleeping or resting, elevate your foot till the level of your heart. It will help bring the swelling and inflammation down and help in overall recovery as well.

Ice Pack
Apply ice to the area concerned, preferably an ice pack or take ice cubes in a towel. But while doing this remember that you do not apply it for more than 15 to 20 minutes at one go.

These things can be done, along with taking pain killers if there is a partially or a slightly torn tendon in the foot, but that too depends on what the doctor says. If the rupture is a major one, like serious anterior cruciate ligament tear, the last resort would be a surgery.

At the end of the day, preventing this problem as far as possible is the best way to deal with it, as the injury is really a painful and upsetting one. I sign off here! Take Care!