Do I need a cast for torn ligaments?
You may need a cast or crutches, and you may even need surgery to repair the torn ligament. After surgery or immobilization, you may require physical therapy and rehabilitation to get back to your pre-injury condition. While some ligament tears are relatively minor, you shouldn’t take them lightly.
How long does it take for torn foot ligaments to heal?
Most minor-to-moderate injuries will heal within 2 to 4 weeks. More severe injuries, such as injuries that need a cast or splint, will need a longer time to heal, up to 6 to 8 weeks. The most serious injuries will need surgery to reduce the bone and allow the ligaments to heal. The healing process can be 6 to 8 months.
How do you heal a torn ligament in your foot?
Treatments
- Rest. You may need to take a break from any activities that put pressure on the injured tendon.
- Ice. Cold packs may help to reduce pain and swelling.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine (NSAID).
- Brace or cast.
- Orthotics.
- Steroid (cortisone) injections.
- Exercise and physical therapy.
- Surgery.
What is better a cast or a boot?
Less skin damage – skin underneath a cast can become raw and painful. The open-air design and lightweight material helps to prevent skin damage when wearing a walking boot. No loud saws used – walking boots can be removed without the use of loud saws.
Does a torn ligament hurt all the time?
A torn ligament can result in varying degrees of pain and discomfort, depending on the extent of the injury. It may produce heat, extensive inflammation, popping or cracking noises, severe pain, instability within the joint and an inability to put weight or pressure on the joint.
What is a Grade 3 ligament tear?
Grade 3: This is a full tear of the ankle ligament. You may have heard a popping sound when it happened. This level of sprain causes severe pain, swelling and bruising. Because the ligament is no longer able to do its job, your ankle will feel unstable and will be unable to support any of your weight.
Can I walk with a cast on my foot?
Wearing a cast on any part of your leg can make getting around a challenge. In addition to the pain of a bone fracture, a cast can feel like a hindrance and irritation. Navigating life in a leg cast takes some practice, planning, and patience.
What to do if you have a torn ligament in your foot?
Ligaments are the strong and flexible tissues that hold the bones throughout your body together; when a ligament tears, the resulting injury is often referred to as a sprain. Depending on the severity of the injury, treatment by an orthopedic surgeon may be required to treat torn ligaments in the foot.
How long does it take for a torn ligament to heal?
Minor sprains resulting from small tears to your ligaments–often referred to as grade I–will generally heal on their own within a few weeks. Large tears to your foot’s ligaments, also known as grade II sprains, need more attention; these moderately severe sprains usually require a splint or cast and can take up to eight weeks to heal.
What causes a torn tendon in the foot?
A torn ligament of tendon in the foot is an injury that can limit daily activity. A ligament is fibrous tissue that connects 2 or more bones together. A tendon connects muscle to bone. A tear in either can come from trauma or repetitive stress.
How long do you stay in a cast after ankle surgery?
The length of recovery depends on the severity of the injury. In the majority of cases, patients will be placed in a cast for 6 weeks, followed by another 6 weeks in a walking boot. Physical therapy treatments to strengthen the ankle and foot begin approximately 3 months after surgery.