A broken foot is a common injury, typically caused by a car crash, direct impact or falling. Stress fractures are small cracks that occur in the foot and are commonly characterized as repetitive force or overuse injuries. The first step in the treatment of a broken foot is to immobilize the bone via a cast. After the cast is removed, you may experience muscle weakness and joint stiffness as a result of the long immobilization period. Your physician will recommend rehabilitation exercises to strengthen the muscles in your foot and ankles, and improve mobility and flexibility.
Treatment and Rehabilitation of a Broken Foot
The first step in the treatment of a broken foot is application of an external cast to keep your bones fixed in a neutral position and remove extra stress from the involved foot. If your physician determines the foot fracture to be minor, a removable brace or shoe with a stiff sole may be sufficient to immobilize the bone and help the ends knit back together. After the immobilization phase, your physician will recommend rehabilitation exercises to increase flexibility in the muscles, ligaments and tendons in the involved foot and prevent joint contracture. Your rehabilitation program will also include strengthening exercises to strengthen the involved muscles and reduce your injury potential. In addition to promoting strength and flexibility, these exercises increase the circulation of oxygenated blood and nutrients to the involved foot, helping to reduce inflammation and recovery time.
Mobility Exercises
Your rehabilitation program will include mobility and stretching exercises. These exercises promote mobility and flexibility, as well as pain free range of motion in your foot and lower leg. Ankle circles is an example of a mobility exercise that your physician may recommend. To perform this exercise, begin by sitting up right. Place the knee of your involved foot over your opposite leg. Hold your involved ankle with your left hand, and use your opposite hand to make circles with your involved foot. This exercise, as well as other rehabilitative exercises, should be pain free. Your physician may recommend other mobility exercises such as a plantar fascia stretch; however, ankle circles are common.
Toe Strenthening Exercises
Toe strengthening exercises should commence as soon as your cast is removed. Strengthening the small muscles of the foot is just as important as strengthening the muscles in the lower leg. Strengthening these muscles speeds recovery and reduces your injury potential. A toe strengthening exercise that your physician may recommend is spreading your toes. Begin this exercise by standing upright and ensuring that your feet are flat on the floor. Spread your toes as far apart as possible and then return them together. Other toe strengthening exercises that your physician may recommend include a static toe flexion, forefoot press, toe lifting, pencil lifting and walking on toes.
Lower Leg Strengthening Exercises
Strengthening the muscles in your lower leg and foot will be a fundamental part of the rehabilitation process. Strengthening the muscles in the ankles and lower legs promotes balance and coordination, and functional activities such as walking. A lower leg strengthening exercise that your physician may recommend is a gastrocnemius muscle stretch. The gastrocnemius muscle is located on the posterior part of your tibia or lower leg, and inserts at your heel bone by attaching to the Achilles tendon. Strengthening this muscle promotes plantarflexion at the ankles and flexion at the knee. Begin by standing upright in front of a wall and placing your hands at shoulder level on the wall. Step forward with your right leg and bend that knee. Ensure that your hind leg remains straight, and lean into the wall. You should experience a stretch in your calf muscles. Other lower leg strengthening exercises that a physician may recommend includes a soleus muscle stretch and stretching on a step.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Broken Ankle/Broken Foot; April 2011
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; Stress Fractures of the Foot and Ankle; July 2009
- Sports Injury Clinic: Rehabilitation (Stress Fracture of the Foot)
- Sports Injury Clinic: Mobility and Stretching (Stress Fracture of the Foot)
- Sports Injury Clinic: Strengthening (Stress Fracture of the Foot)
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