Top of foot swelling/pain - what can it be?

Foot care
1

Hi all,

I injured my foot in March 2019, possibly while running for a long time or while cycling. I noticed a pain in the outside of my left foot which grew over time. It started swelling up and in April last year it looked like this:

I went to a GP who said it was likely to be a stress fracture and they recommended ice/rest for few weeks, the swelling didn’t get any better, and this went on for months. They recommended an ultrasound which was clear, and I did an MRI 8 months after, which showed “subcutaneous edema in the left side of foot, extending to the ankle”. I then took medication for suspected arthritis even though blood tests were negative (!) and the anti-inflammatory meds seemed to help. A few months ago I saw a podiatrist who said it is likely to have actually been ligament tears and said soft tissue injuries can take long time to heal.

I now wear stability shoes and can walk normally for 1-2 miles but I frequently get severe pain on the top/side of my foot. Weight-bearing activities hurt quite a lot, though swelling is not as bad as last year. Is there anything I can do or is it just a matter of time? Any advice would be appreciated!

Thank you.

2

That looks so bad and I understand your pain. My foot swelling on top has been going on since I began to have arthritis in my foot and the cartilage in my big toe was gone and a bone spur grew on top of my foot. I had surgery to have an implant in my big toe (arthrosurface hemi cap) in December and the swelling on top was better but still pretty bad. I did PT and Chiropractic care. They both worked on it by trying to massage the swelling down. I went for allergy testing to be sure I wasn’t allergic to the metals in the implant. I wasn’t so he put me on celebrex (prescription 200 mg twice a day and Selenex GSH over the counter (must order online) also twice a day. The swelling has diminished. I still try to touch and massage it. The pain is better too. That’s the only advice I have from my personal experience.