Icing is effective at reducing pain and swelling because the cold constricts blood vessels and decreases circulation to the area. Using a cold compress or ice pack on a strained muscle can decrease inflammation and numb pain in the area. Icing an injury typically takes place immediately after the injury occurs. It initially helps by recruiting healing factors that accelerate how quickly cells migrate to the site of injury – but swelling is also bad because it destructs and distends the tissues, and distorts the anatomy. After that, you can ice it two to three times a day. Put ice on your toe for 20 minutes every hour while you’re awake. Keep your foot raised while sitting or lying down (above your heart is best) to keep the swelling and pain down. A compression stocking, if ordered by your surgeon, should be worn, especially if you have swelling to your lower legs. Often it is at its worst between 5-10 days after surgery. It is not uncommon to have swelling after surgery. When should I worry about swelling after surgery? After surgery, you will need to wear a cast or a special type of shoe to protect your toe and to keep it in the right position for at least 3 to 6 weeks. You may have some minor pain and swelling that lasts as long as 6 months to a year. You will have pain and swelling that slowly improves in the 6 weeks after surgery.
How long does swelling last after toe surgery? Swelling of the toes is a common finding after surgery and can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months to fully resolve. Impact-style activity like walking or running is usually not comfortable until closer to 6-12 weeks post-op. Your walking will be slowed down for several weeks. How soon can you walk after hammer toe surgery? The misalignment of joints can also lead to swelling and even permanent destruction of joints.
You should use this shoe for walking for a total of 4 weeks after surgery. Mechanical disorders of MTP joint: Metatarsophalangeal joint pain (also referred to as metatarsalgia) can also be due to surface misalignment of connective tissue framework, resulting in a misalignment or subluxation of joints, plate tears or destruction of joint cartilage. You will be given a post-op shoe to use after surgery. This pin will be removed in the office at your second post-op appointment. You will have a pin in your toe for 4 weeks after surgery. How long do pins stay in after toe surgery? However, once the bones have fused (usually after around six months) the metal can easily be removed during a minor day case procedure. Sometimes the metal used to fuse the joint can be prominent. How long does it take for toe bones to fuse? In other words, metatarsophalangeal joints connect your toe bones to your foot bones. Between the heads of the metatarsal bones and the bottoms of the proximal phalanges (your toe bones) are the metatarsophalangeal joints. Your metatarsal bones are the long bones that link your ankle to your toes. Metatarsophalangeal joint pain most commonly results from misalignment of the joint surfaces with altered foot biomechanics, causing joint subluxations, flexor plate tears, capsular impingement, and joint cartilage destruction (osteoarthrosis). Metatarsophalangeal joint pain is a common cause of metatarsalgia. What causes pain in the metatarsophalangeal joint? Other problems can lead to pain around the MTP joint and ball of the foot. doi:10.The effects of excess pressure and force on the toes and several forms of arthritis can lead to painful, swollen MTP joints. Background Osteoarthritis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (1st MTP joint OA) is a common and disabling condition that results in pain and limited joint range of motion. Percutaneous first metatarsophalangeal joint fusion. Hallux rigidus: How do I approach it? World J Orthop.
The impact of rheumatoid arthritis on foot function in the early stages of disease: a clinical case series. Turner DE, Helliwell PS, Emery P, Woodburn J. Morning symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis: a defining characteristic and marker of active disease. Arthritis, foot pain and shoe wear: current musculoskeletal research on feet.