Forefoot trauma and suspected bone bruise is not progressing. What should I do?
Hey everyone, looking for some advice or shared experiences from anyone who has dealt with severe sesamoid or forefoot trauma. About 5 to 6 weeks ago, I kicked something heavy directly with my plantar forefoot. Since then, my foot has been hurting and I am completely unable to put pressure on it.
On the day of the injury, I went to the ER and got an X-ray. A week later, my podiatrist did another X-ray, both showing nothing fractured or broken. Then, 4 weeks into this, I got a CT scan that showed significant soft tissue swelling and fluid expansion in the plantar region around the sesamoid area. Right now, my podiatrist wants me to wait out a 3-week window before deciding on an MRI, but I have seen absolute zero progress. He mentioned this is a deep bone bruise and bone marrow is inflamed.
I am completely homebound, working from home, and using a knee scooter and an offloading shoe to stay off it. When I wake up, the foot feels okay, but by evening, even just sitting at my desk all day or resting in my bed, it gets hot, swollen, and aches terribly. My whole right leg also feels noticeably colder at times.
Given that I am totally stagnant and cannot walk, I am definitely pushing to pull that MRI forward rather than waiting out the rest of the 3 weeks. For anyone who has navigated this kind of deep tissue or sesamoid injury, is it typical to see zero change before a sudden turnaround, or should recovery be more gradual? Also, is there anything safe you did on your own, such as specific resting positions, elevation setups, or routine tweaks, that helped take the edge off the evening throbbing while waiting on answers?