Do you know what to do when you injure your foot or ankle? Of course, if it’s an emergency such as an open fracture or if you are in extreme pain, you’ll head to the emergency room. But what about in lesser instances? At Long Island Foot & Ankle Group, PC, we want patients to know how to best deal with a podiatric injury. Use the acronym RICE to help you remember:
REST your foot or ankle after an injury. Do not try to walk around on it to see if that will make it feel better. In so doing, you can make the injury worse or even cause a secondary injury to occur. Stay off your injured foot until one of our foot and ankle surgeons, Dr. Russell Caprioli, Dr. Mary Ann Bilotti, Dr. John Haight or Dr. Marzana Mleczko, can examine your foot or ankle and order the appropriate imaging studies to determine the nature of the injury.
ICE the injured part of your foot or ankle. This will help reduce swelling, inflammation and pain. The proper way to apply ice is wrapped in a thin towel or plastic bag. Do not apply ice directly to the skin. Put ice on for 15-20 minutes at a time, every three to four hours.
COMPRESSION bandages will also control swelling and help keep the injured part of your foot stable. An elastic bandage should feel snug and hold the injured area securely but not be so tight that it increases pain or causes swelling above or below the bandage.
ELEVATION of the injured area of the foot to a level above the heart will help the swelling to go down.
The RICE regimen will best protect your foot until you can make an appointment at our Valley Stream (516-825-4070 ) or Lake Success (516-327-0074) office. Seek treatment promptly to ensure the swiftest and best recovery of a foot or ankle injury.