Foot and ankle emergencies happen every day. Broken bones, dislocations, sprains, contusions, infections, and other serious injuries can occur at any time. Early attention is vitally important. Whenever you sustain a foot or ankle injury, you should seek immediate treatment from your FDFAC physician.

If an injury or accident does occur, the steps you can take to help yourself until you can reach your FDFAC physician are easy to remember if you can recall the word “R - I - C - E.”

• Rest. Restrict your activity and get off your foot/ankle.
• Ice. Gently place a plastic bag of ice wrapped in a towel on the injured area in a 20-minute-on, 40-minute-off cycle.
• Compression. Lightly wrap an Ace bandage around the area, taking care not to pull it too tight.
• Elevation. To reduce swelling and pain, sit in a position that allows you to elevate the foot/ankle higher than your waist.

Prevention

• Wear the correct shoes for your particular activity.
• Wear hiking shoes or boots in rough terrain.
• Don't continue to wear any sports shoe if it is worn unevenly.
• The toe box in “steel-toe” shoes should be deep enough to accommodate your toes comfortably.
• Always wear hard-top shoes when operating a lawn mower or other grass-cutting equipment.
• Don’t walk barefoot on paved streets or sidewalks.
• Watch out for slippery floors at home and at work. Clean up obviously dangerous spills immediately.
• If you get up during the night, turn on a light. Many fractured toes and other foot injuries occur while attempting to find one’s way in the dark.