Good News!! After dealing with a swollen left foot for nearly 2 months I’m finally getting good results. I have been consistently doing a few things that seem to be making a big difference.
#1 – I’m trying to keep my feet elevated while I’m working. It took awhile to get used to this but now it seems much more comfortable than sitting at my desk. I bought a chair and ottoman that work well for sitting in and typing, much better than my old recliner.
#2 – I’m taking the dog on shorter walks and wearing my new walking shoes consistently with the Orthaheel inserts in them.
#3 – I have been wearing compression socks consistently, even when sleeping. This too took a bit of getting used to but honestly they have helped so much I’m considering wearing them consistently on both feet. If you are on your feet a lot during the day, I would definitely give them a try.
#4 – It has become apparent that my swelling was caused by a form of tendinitis and possibly aggravated by scar tissue from a snowmobile accident. At night I’ve been massaging them with fast freeze before putting on my compression sock for the night. This has made a dramatic difference in how my foot feels in the morning, it’s something I will continue to do.
#5 – I have continued with acupuncture treatments which reduced the amount of pain I was feeling. It seems that acupuncture was more effective with controlling the pain and had less effect on the swelling. However my practitioner felt that once the pain was under control the swelling would decrease as well. This may be the case but I still give more credit to wearing the compression sock.
At this point I’m not sure how long I’m going to have to keep up this altered routine, but I’m extremely happy to have increased mobility and reduced pain in my left foot. My sciatic nerve on the left side remains irritated so I’m still convinced that is part of the problem as well. I’ve been doing a couple different stretches that loosen up my hips and buttocks. I found this picture online of my favorite stretch, it really targets the area that hurts (hip socket).
As soon as I feel my foot is ready I’m going to start doing the P90X yoga routine a couple times per week. I used to do this routine whenever my back bothered me and it’s an incredible workout. I tried it when my foot first started bothering me but my foot was unable to take the strain and would swell up like a balloon afterwards.
It has not been an easy time of year to stay off my feet especially since ND summers tend to be short. At least now it feels like it is worth it since the swelling is subsiding and the pain in my foot is much more manageable. All I can say is “Don’t Ignore Pain And Swelling In Your Foot”! I should’ve addressed it right away instead of ignoring it until it became unbearable. The longer you let it go the harder it will be to get it back under control. Letting it go too long can also risk damage to the nerves which can cause long term issues, so be proactive when it comes to managing the pain and swelling.
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