Instep injury

Hi, I started training in TKD month ago. Yesterday when i kicked with my right foot i felt like something moved at the middle toe on thr left foot... It hurts like hell when i try to walk. I went to the doctor, they x-rayed my foot and told me that the bones or not damaged, but that i have mild swelling at the "dorsal side of the left foot"(hopefully I translaed that right, I dont even know what it means in my language...) . I am worried that they might have missed something and that after 2 weeks of resting I wont feel better... Did any of you had similar problems? How long will it take to heal? Will I be still able to train in TKD or will I injure my self again when i try to kick?

Thanks

 

My advice would be to calm down first.
And, yeah, I know it's more difficult than it should be.

But: It only happened yesterday.
Chances are more likely then not, that the foot will get better if you give it some time to heal properly.

When I hurt my foot once I felt like crawling on all fours the night; walking was pure torture.
So I went to my doc the next day (still felt like crawling), he sent me to another doc for an x-ray (I could slowly walk without the wish, to rip my foot off) - but the more of the day went by, the better I could walk.
It still hurt, but not that bad anymore.

I never told my doc that I actually went to training later that day, because he would have me skinned alive
But I felt like it, the foot didn't hurt *too* bad anymore. Of course I couldn't do everything, and more important: The *smart* thing to do would have been to give the foot some time to rest!
That way it would have actually healed faster; "my" way took a while longer, I think

So: Don't be stupid like me, but give the foot some rest

 

I agree with Latikos. Give it some time and rest. I'm no doctor, but if nothing has happened to the bone, you should be alright, I would think. Mild swelling on the dorsal side doesn't sound too serious (by itself). Although I definitely believe it can hurt a lot, there is no reason to think you will not be able to kick again, is there? You will see after the two weeks. Just be careful and pay more attention to how you kick so you don't hurt yourself again.
I wish you the best of luck. Hopefully the swelling and pain will go away soon


Latikos: I also ignored some lighter injuries a few times (not that it was a good idea, it usually hurt for a few weeks longer than it probably would have). However, a doctor can't and won't really tell you what you must or mustn't do. Once in class I had a toe torn, broken and the bones dislocated. I had it refigured, a wire drilled in and was given some stitches ... and spent two months walking with stupid crutches (never again!). The worst thing of all was that I couldn't train!
There was a big seminar coming, however, so I basically informed the doctors that there's nothing they can do or say to prevent me from attending I got checked with an X-ray the day before, was told I needed to use the crutches for 10 more days, without putting much weight on the foot. I was asked if I really can't just go and watch. I said absolutely not, went, left the crutches at the entrance to the gym and made sure not to take any special breaks It was exhausting, especially because by that time the muscles on my leg were basically non-existent, but it was still great In fact, after that the foot was a little painful, my ankle hurt because of the limping around for the next month and the foot was swelling (maybe would have anyway), but I actually became able to move the toe and the muscles came back rather quickly, I think, so I didn't regret going


And as it happened to me and what I heard from a few friends, milder injuries and bruising often hurt more than the worse ones (and maybe even longer). I only broke a bone once, but it didn't hurt much (until after treatment, at least) and nothing really looked wrong. If not for me also tearing the base of the toe open, having bloodied the gym and sensei deciding I needed some stitches, I probably wouldn't even go to see a doctor until later when I would have realised I really can't walk.... Some bruising usually hurts significantly more...

Try to get rid of the swelling with RICE and rest for how long you were told. If that's what the doctors told you, why not try? Let us know how it goes

 

Rest Ice Compression Elevation and Anti-inflammatories is useful for the acute injury.

As for not injuring your foot again:

When we start training in Taekwondo like any activity the body needs time to adapt. The feet which we use for kicking and the supporting structures are not normally used to the extreme demands in terms of impact, foot shape, fast movement of the ankle and all the bouncing.

You need to slow down your training and focus on the kicking techniques themselves and the minor details like foot placement on the pad or person, turning the supporting foot, and these develop in time along with all the associated factors like hips flexibility and strength. This means not going Gung Ho and trying to break the bag when you are kicking but focusing on technique.

It also means not moving around like a maniac or trying to spin like the tasmanian devil in sparring, but focusing on correct stance and movements forwards and backwards into kicking.

The ankles and associated muscles are often under developed and lead to injury when people take up taekwondo, the basic movements done correctly will gradually lead to improvements over time, however you can strengthen these, which not only improve your current injury but prevent it in the future.

http://corepersonalfitnesstrainer.com/calf-raise in home personal traing Paula.jpg

Standing calf raises on a step to deepen effect (work up to 3 sets of 30, then go one leg).

https://www.physioadvisor.com.au/assets/256/images/13508256(300x300).jpg

https://www.physioadvisor.com.au/assets/256/images/13509256(300x300).jpg

https://www.orthopedicsatoz.org/Ort...csAtoZ/Images/Exercises/Ankle_Isotonic_02.jpg

Band exercises have been something I have used to rehabilitate ankle injuries. Work up to similarly high reps to improve muscular endurance

Standing on one leg for time on a pillow or balance board can assist in strengthening the same areas, after you can do this practise chambering and throwing kicks on the balance board as well (very tricky stuff, but will improve balance and kicks).

Also, myofascial tissue release (google it- check the spelling) is a good principle...Get a cricket ball, place your foot on it and roll it over the floor with your foot firmly before training.

Once your doing all of that and the pain is gone, start to incorporate simple agility drills like ladder runs, multidirectional cone running.

This progresses to sprints and multidirectional plyometrics.

Viola

 

great advice in general from mitch.

what i like to do in this situation, and it's not for everybody but i got into it when i was rehabbing my fixed acl: i put the ice in a plastic bag and put it directly on the affected area for 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off, three four times.

not for everyone. but i like it quite a bit. gets the area really cold and helps with the inflammation.

 

Sure, they can't order me, but usually it makes sense
My house physician is very aware of it. He tends to say: "Since I can't stop you from training, at least be careful and slow about it."
He knows me there

But he's also bigger, so no need to risk to get slapped

When I went training with my foot, it got better the more I moved as well.
I told my teacher in the beginning, that I couldn't run though and after 90 minutes I was surprised that I could.

 

Thanks for great replies. I went with the RICE method, however it's been 3 days ans it still hurts like on the first day... And every once a while, when I put to much weight on that foot it feels like something moved inside it, but it always feels the same, that is why I'm wyou are doctor missed something.

Thanks again, you are great!

 

In case you get too scared ask the doctor who did the x-ray (so there is no need for a second one) to hand that over to you and go to another doc to get a second opinion.
Or go the same one again and tell him about your concerns, so he can take another look.

The doc should be fine with it as long as you don't do that everytime with everything.

When my arm was broken and made trouble after trouble, my doctors totally understood and even encouraged, that I get there regularly when I got nervous about it.

 

If the bone is not visibly broken on the foot X-Ray, it is more likely a ligament/tendon tear/sprain. These are very common on supporting foot. MOST people who start taekwondo will get something like your injury at some point in the first year or two of their training, so don't worry too much. 3 days is not a long time for the body to completely heal. It could take a week or two to die down and over a month to completely recover. Longer if you don't do any rehabilitation. That doesn't mean stretching, in case it's a tear. But working under a very low load like the elastic bands in my other post or two legged calf raises so you can support your injured leg with the other one moderating the load.

I know a 3rd dan who had the injury for over 6 months because she kept sparring with the same injury and not doing anything to address it.

Get a referral for a physiotherapist. The Dr advice will only be rest ice compression elevation. Especially if there is no bone damage. You should be rehabbing the injury from day one for soft tissue or tendon damage from what I have been told in similar injuries. You could also use voltarin or a similar brands topical anti-inflammatory gel. This late in the injury I'm not sure if Ice is the way to keep going or if heat is the right option. Someone will fill you in I'm sure.

As for the feeling of something moving around. That's often just the bruising under a very small area of skin that has no real fat, muscle, etc to hide it.

http://etfaonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Foot-anatomy2.jpg