Any damage to the long bones on the forefoot is known as a metatarsal fracture. These are common on runners, soccer player, and people who are competing in contact sports. Traumatic impact as well as stress can contribute to the injury. Damages to the bone on the forefoot can greatly affect the walking, running, and standing ability of a person regardless of the degree of the injury. Keeping the foot at rest and supported with splints and cushion is highly recommended for faster healing and recovery.

Although most of the metatarsal injuries are caused by traumatic incidents when the athlete is practicing or during the game, there are many cases though were stress is also a big factor in acquiring the injury. A strong impact on the metatarsal area can leave one or more of these bones fractured. The sudden twisting of the forefoot also ends up injuring the metatarsals, especially the 5th bone. Strenuous training programs that provide pressure on these areas of the lower limbs would also contribute in putting stress to the metatarsal bones.

One way of preventing bigger health problems is by detecting the signs and symptoms during the early stage of the injury. This will allow you to avoid severe inflammation, pain, discomfort, and other unpleasant stuffs that you'll experience while under the condition. Aside from the painful feeling on the injured area, you will experience difficulty in carrying the weight of the body on the affected foot. Expect deformities on your foot due to the strong impact that will definitely break one or more of the 5 metatarsal bones. Swelling will also be evident especially on the affected area of the human body. Bruising is also noticeable on cases where nerves and blood vessels were affected during the injury. You will also find it hard for you to wear your socks and shoes.

As soon as you feel any serious discomfort on your foot or any part of the body, immediately go to your doctor and get the affected area x-rayed and assessed for possible injury. The x-ray result will confirm any injury in case you have one or not. It will also provide information on the condition of the metatarsals which will help the doctor in giving the ideal treatment and rehabilitation program. Anti-inflammatory medications are usually prescribed to aid the controlling of the sudden swelling on the fractured bone of the foot. In case the pain is not tolerable, you can also ask your doctor to prescribe pain relievers.

Rest is commonly required on such situations especially if the affected part of the human body is unable to carry weight. It is not also advisable to force the foot on walks and long standing positions as this can add more injuries. Crutches are good stuffs to have when in this type of situation as they will provide support to the lower limbs which will allow less stress in case you need to walk. Some patients find wheelchairs more effective, efficient, and comfortable as compared to the crutches.