Question
while moving a heavy chair it slipped on the top section of my foot it formed a super huge bump so i applied ice then arnica and the swelling went down to my toes and side of foot got black blue but I went and had x ray and there is no aparent fracture but my foot is still swollen and kinda hard in centr top of foot and still is  reddizish and really hurtswhen i try to walk. also i have a burning sensation and I feel lke my foot is dividing. I am 66 years old woman
if there is no fracture why cant i walk well ? the pain is there
thank you so much
Gabriela

Answer
Hi, Gabriela,

So sorry to hear about your misfortune with the chair!  From what you're describing, I wonder if you might have a hematoma, which is a collection of blood that gets stuck under your skin and forms a firm mass or bump.  Whenever we get injured, blood vessels (sometimes the really tiny capillaries) get crushed and the blood that normally flows through the vessels leaks out into the surrounding soft tissues.  That's what causes a bruise.  Sometimes the blood gets trapped in an area where there isn't a lot of room, or if some of the bigger blood vessels get damaged, there's more blood than usual that leaks out, and this is when a hematoma forms.  Your body can eventually absorb that "old blood" that's stuck in the tissues, but when there's a lot of it, that can take a really long time.  Sometimes applying heat to the area, like a warm compress, can help that hematoma break apart a little faster.  Other times, a doctor has to do a minor procedure to get the blood out.

As far as the pain and the burning you're having, that is probably caused by pressure of the hematoma on one of the nearby nerves.  There are a couple of nerves that run across the top of your foot, and if there's too much pressure, it causes your nerve to "cry out" by sending pain signals to your brain.  Another thing that nerve damage can do is to cause a burning sensation in your foot.  Any pain that feels sharp, stinging, shooting, or burning is typically indicative of a nerve injury.

I would strongly recommend that you see a podiatrist if possible, or at least a medical doctor of some kind, so that they can properly diagnose and treat the injury.  If a nerve gets compressed for a long time, that can lead to long-term nerve damage.  I would hate to see something like that happen to you.

Hope this helps!  And I hope you are able to see someone who can get to the bottom of this.  I can only do and suggest so much, as a doctor who cannot thoroughly examine your foot or ask a series of detailed questions.  It is always best to go to see someone in person.

Wishing you health, happiness, and peace,
Dr. Bodart