Broken Foot Question

[kilee]

My mom called me and told me she broke a bone on the outside of her foot this evening after slipping on some salt (usually the salt is a good thing-- it's usually the ice that gets you ).
Anyhow, they told her to go home and walk on her heel until Monday. They set her up w/ a Podiatrist. Has anyone ever seen a podiatrist for a broken foot?? I know they're a foot doctor-- but I thought they took care of things like bunions and fungal infections and such. I really thought she'd see an orthopedic doctor.

 

[Showe]

If she has a broken bone in her foot, I would tend to believe an orthopedic physician would be better to see.....and, I would not suggest that she bear any weight on the foot until she does.

 

[MrsToad]

When I was in junior high school, I went down hard on my foot and ankle and was taken to an emergency clinic that was affiliated with a hospital. They took X-rays and said I had broken bones and would need to see the podiatrist. When I went to see the podiatrist, he said the bones were not broken, that what they saw on the X-ray were "growing spaces." He wrapped my foot in an ace bandage and sent me off with crutches for a couple of weeks, saying I did have a badly sprained ankle.

 

[crazelion]

I had go to the foot doctor when I broken my foot. all they at the ER was put me on crucths.

 

[Pugdog007]

I've broken my foot several times - she needs to see an orthopaedic surgeon. A podiatrist?

 

[golfgal]

I agree with going to see an orthopedic dr. As far as walking on her foot, as long as it doesn't hurt to walk on it, it is ok. There are a lot of bones in your foot and not all of them are weight bearing. Heck, there was a kid on the cross country team last year that had a broken bone in his foot and ran on it all season. It wasn't healing because it was one of those bones that didn't have good blood supply so he had surgery on it after cross country season. That would also be a good reason to see an orthopedic doc, just in case she needs surgery.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Orthapedist would be best. I have a co-worker who broke her foot (she's grandma age). Her foot is taking forever to heal. She finally threatened to see an orthapedic surgeon--and the doc is finally getting his head out of his rear.

Anything involving broken bone parts--merits at least a consulation with an orthapedist to make sure that the bones will heal properly.

While a podiatrist deals with feet--it just really isn't in that way especially if surgery is needed to reset the bone properly from a fracture.

 

[Disney Doll]

Actually, a podiatrist might be a better choice, depending on his credentials.

I see a podiatrist who is also trained in orthopedic surgery of the foot...an orthopedic podiatrist, if you will. He only does orthopedic surgery on the foot, so he is, in essence, an orthopedist who specializes in the foot only.

However, if the podiatrist your mother has beef referred to does not have the se qualifications, then perhaps an orthopedist would be a better choice, or at least a podiatrist with orthopedic specialization.

 

[janet715]

This may not answer your question, but it reminded me of a funny story...

My 15 month old broke her foot at the end of december. We have no idea how she did it... on xmas eve I noticed a nasty bruise on her foot after her bath... a couple days later it swelled up so we took her to the doctor, who ordered xrays, and it ended up being a fracture.

They put her in a short leg cast, which is a sad sight on a baby girl. (Daddy took it harder than she did!)

Two days later, I go to her crib to get her after a nap, and there she is holding her cast in her hand, smiling from ear to ear. I rushed her back to the hospital and they put another cast on.

A week later she was up screaming bloody murder from 11pm to 5am, so I called the hospital, almost in tears, and told them they need to take the cast off. They did, and found a bingo chip pressing against her heel. They put on a new cast and we were on our way.

The next day, she pulls the cast off again, so I take her for her 4th visit in a week and a half. This time, they put her in a splint with an ace bandage and said if she manages to get it off, I can either put it back on or just leave it off and keep a shoe on her.

Needless to say, little houdini had that thing off before we even got home.

Anyway, the doc actually told us to go directly to an orthpedic doctor, not a podiatrist.

 

[kilee]

janet715- your story- w/o the injury part is cute. Quite the clever little one you have there.

I told my mom to make an appt. w/ an orthropedic surgeon. The podiatrist has no orth/surgical credentials- I called and asked after reading this post. I only made her cry- because she told me to stop second guessing her primary care physician. I was really trying to be nice about it-- but she didn't go to the ER when she fell because she was afraid "work" would be mad. Then she can't see the ortho- because it's only during work hours- and once again "work" will be mad. The podiatrist has better hours. She's been a loyal, hard-working employee of this company for 15 years- but they have her terrified of taking even 2 hrs off to attend to her health. So, yes I ranted a bit to her- now I've got to send flowers because I didn't mean to make her cry- but I really hate her work and how scared of them she is.

 

[Nancy]

Kilee, I broke my foot in 2 places about 1 year ago. I saw an orthopedic surgeon...because he was the one that did the surgery on my foot a few months before that. I broke my foot pretty high up and also had a hairline fracture lower down the foot. I was stupid and walked around on it for about 2-3 weeks before I saw the doctor. (because I had surgery on that same foot, I thought I just aggravated the bone they did the surgery on.) I didn't go see him until it hurt so bad I couldn't stand...and I couldn't put a shoe on anymore. One year later my foot still hurts, I think it never healed right. When it gets cold and damp my foot kills.

I can't believe that your Mom feels she can't take off for a doctors appointment! Maybe once she sees the other doctor he will recommend that she sees an ortho guy.

 

[puggymom]

A few years ago, per my doctor, I didn't break my foot, I pulverized it. I have a plate and several pins in there still. My doctor is a podiatric orthopedic. I was lucky to have found him. Maybe that is what was meant, not just a plain podiatrist.

 

[klmall]

When I broke my foot last October the emergency physician and x-ray technician insisted I see an orthopedic specialist after the horrendous swelling went down but when I saw my primary doctor for the referral to the ortho specialist he wanted me to go to a podiatrist so I know what you are saying.

I had read enough and heard enough horror stories about improper foot diagnoses and treatment that I insisted I see a specialist which I did.

End result: I healed properly and four months later have only minor discomfort when I press directly on the spot.

See orthopedic specialists for this kind of diagnosis and treatment!

 

[winniedapooh]

Hi Kilee,
I walked around with a pinky toe broken in two spots and the bones underneath broekn in 2 spots for almost 3 weeks. I did this until I could not stand the pain and went to see my PCP. He sent me to the ER as an ortho. was unavailable. They sent me to a podiat. who wanted to do surgery the follwoing week and take the bone out of my pinky toe and put in a rod... They also gave me one of those ugly shoe boot things, wadded it up with ace bandages and gauze and threatened me with horrors if I walked on it! I could nto keep still and thought they had permanently done damage to me...what happened was I had pushed a bone in and out of whatever due to not listening to the dr. and having all that junk stuck on my foot! I made an appt. with an ortho. as I did not want some rod stuck in my foot plus the look of the O.R. in his office scared me to death. I go to said ortho. where she is horrified and put me in another one of those stylin boot things and told me to be good! She also told me that had I had that done my toe would have flopped around without feeling for the rest of my life and I would have likely damaged my foot but good! The podiat. was not ortho. certified!