This isn’t how I wanted to start this site. On February 4th, I missed a step in my garage and landed on top of my right foot. I broke the navicular bone and sprained my ankle. My foot and toes are bruised. It’ll take 6 weeks to heal. I go back to my doctor at the end of March. The first 48 hours were the worst.

Now I can walk on it, but I’m wearing a boot. My pain tolerance is high from chronic migraine the last 13 years, a severe left ankle sprain in 2002 which required crutches for 6 weeks, and 3 surgeries. Still, it’s tiresome.

Thankfully, we homeschool on the couch and I work from home. We have chickens and my boys and husband have been caring for them. It’s a good thing I write sitting down.

RICE

RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) is still the best method to heal these types of injuries, especially during the first 24-48 hours. Like I did with migraine, I put together a toolkit for foot pain, swelling and bruising (quicker this time, in a matter of days instead of years). To be honest, the bruising hurts more than the sprain and the broken bone. I’m sharing my list of must-haves in case you ever find yourself in this situation.

Devices

• Short walking boot: instead of calling to find a medical supply store that takes my insurance, I got this United Ortho Short Cam Walker Fracture Boot for under $40 on Amazon. Sizes range from x-small to large and it’s comfortable.
• Elevation pillow: the TranquilRelax Elevation Pillow is my new favorite thing. It raises my foot while I sleep. This might be a permanent addition to my nighttime routine even after I heal.
• Heel lifts: when you walk with a boot, your legs and hips become uneven. This is painful (don’t ask me how I know). These Sumifun Heel Lifts can be stuck inside your good shoe to balance things out.
• Ice pack sock: a bag of frozen peas will do the trick for sprains, swelling, and bruising, but I noticed it felt heavy on my broken bone. This TheraICE Ankle Ice Pack Wrap is gentle.
• Walking boot covers: washable boot covers so I can go to my chickens. Comes with two.
• Shower chair: I’m not confident showering while standing, so my husband got me this shower chair from Drive Medical. It’s adjustable and has a sturdy back and arms, along with suction tip legs for stability.

Arnica & Herbal Tinctures

• Arnica salve: arnica is a wonderful herb from the daisy family that treats pain, swelling, and bruising. It can be taken as an oral tablet or applied topically. It’s one of the most soothing remedies for deep bruises. I’ve been using Earthley’s 2 oz Arnica Salve and I have this 8 oz Organic Botanicals Pure Arnica Salve because I’m in this for at least 6 weeks.
• Earthley Pain Potion: this is a natural herbal pain relief tincture with meadowsweet, mullein leaf, and dandelion root. Combined with meloxicam, it took the edge off those first few excruciating days and is now helping me function at a satisfactory level.
• Earthley Anti-Inflammatory: I bought this for general inflammation and I’m taking it daily for my foot. It contains ginger, echinacea, cinnamon, and a few other herbs to support the body’s natural inflammatory response.

In addition to medical supplies and tinctures (and cookies), I’m wearing boot socks to keep my foot warm and to promote circulation. I layer them over my regular cotton socks. Warm feet are crucial.

19 Clear Days

The great news is I had 19 consecutive days migraine-free! That’s the longest run since 2017. My neurologist doubled my dose of Vyepti, and I think it’s working along with Botox and some complementary therapies I plan to share in the near future.

I hope you never injure your foot, but in the event it happens, you can take action. There’s always a toolkit for what ails you. Make sure you include cookies.

This post may contain affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission that will help with costs associated to run this site.