Recently I had a patient with a toe fracture come into the office wearing a new and unique type of shoe. To take the pressure off the top of her toes, she actually cut open the whole toe area of her sneakers. I’ve also seen other people with different foot fractures trying DIY (do-it-yourself) shoe modifications like this one to make it more comfortable to wear compared to their walking boots.
But it might not be the best option and you shouldn’t attempt this if you have a toe fracture. Even though you might get some pressure relief, sneakers are made to bend and they bend a lot. When you’ve had a toe fracture you must wear a postoperative shoe or a surgical shoe that has a very hard bottom to it, or one of those walking boots.
Basically, the idea behind those medical shoes is that they don’t bend because bending slows down the healing of the fracture. You shouldn't bend or move the fractured area and that’s why those special shoes are so important. And no one wants to deal with a fracture longer than needed.
It usually takes about six to eight weeks to heal a toe fracture. If the fracture involves a joint, it could even develop some arthritis afterwards. At Central Massachusetts Podiatry, we offer in-office X-rays and ultrasound, in Worcester and Westborough, to precisely diagnose and treat foot fractures as early as possible.
If you have foot pain, call 508-757-4003 for a same day appointment.
When I saw that patient coming in I thought it was clever what she tried to accomplish, but it also reminded me to share this information, so you can heal faster if you ever have to deal with a foot related fracture.
Read also: Calf Injuries: Heal faster with Shockwave Therapy
