A long history for a fairly simple question, but bear with me...
I have busted, bashed, broken, and generally abused my smallest toes for years with very little healing trouble... until now.
Last year I did quite a number on my left small toe. Having never visited the doctor for broken toes before, I didn't then, either, even though that particular injury pretty much kept me off my feet for a couple of days, unlike previous ones, usually dislocations, that hurt for a couple of hours at most. A small "pop" occurred two days after the injury, the pain decreased immediately thereafter and eventually went away. Because of that I never did find out if it was a break or merely a dislocation of the metatarsal-phalangeal joint (which was where the pain was centered). The toe was now a bit off-kilter, with the top shifted slightly to the left, as if it were tilting over, but it didn't seem to affect my walking.
Now the pain is coming back. It's not disabling, but it does hurt. It occurs when I stand in the kitchen to cook for multiple hours. I'm fairly certain this isn't a cold-weather coming problem because it behaved itself all last winter, including times when I was logging and doing construction work. Perhaps it's only a matter of support, since logging requires hefty shoes and cooking allows for house slippers.
Anyway, I'm thinking of getting it looked at. My question, then, is who should I involve in this? Is it worth it to go straight to a podiatrist or someone involved in foot and ankle surgery? Or should I start with my family doctor or local clinic?
Thanks in advance. |
