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The response to the question below was authored by Marc Mitnick DPM

Foot stitches hurts when I stand

by Person
(AZ)

I got a bad cut on my foot. I was given twelve stitches. When I stand up it hurts my wound badly. I can't put any weight on the foot and it hurt even if I stand on the opposite foot. I have to keep my foot up and lay down or it hurts.

RESPONSE

Hi,
If it took twelve stitches to close up your wound I am making the assumption that the cut was pretty bad.

Most simple trauma to the bottom of the foot usually requires perhaps five or six sutures.

The other factor to consider is where on your foot the cut occurred. If it occurred on the ball of the foot or the heel (weight bearing portions of the foot) then that has to be taken into consideration as well.

The simple fact of the matter is that when there is significant trauma to the bottom of the foot, and it requires numerous sutures and perhaps is on a weight bearing section of the foot, then you should not be bearing weight on the foot, for more reasons other then it hurts.

The reason your foot hurts when you step on it is because normally there is a lot of tension on the bottom of the foot, so in your case when you bear weight you are actually stretching the cut, even with the sutures in and of course this causes pain.

The bigger issue is if you continue to walk on the foot, you run the risk of the incision opening up somewhat and forming a large scar instead of closing up with minimal scarring.

A scar on the bottom of the foot, when completely healed can be quite uncomfortable to walk on.

If that ends up being your case, then more than likely if injections and topical medicine does not reduce the scar, you are looking at surgery, to have the scar excised and have the remaining wound sewn back together, this time, with strict instructions not to walk on it for three weeks which is usually the minimal amount of time necessary for the wound to close enough that you can then walk on it.

I am surprised whoever sewed up your foot did not tell you to stay off of it and did not give you crutches.

My suggestion would be to put yourself on crutches immediately particularly if the wound is on the forefoot or heel. Do not walk on the wound for three weeks.

I assume you have a doctor as someone is going to have to remove the sutures. You might want to check with your doctor and see if they are in agreement with my suggestions.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Mayo Clinic

Johns Hopkins Medicine

MedlinePlus

Arthritis Foundation

University of Rochester Medical Center

Harvard Health

Drugs.com

American Academy of Pediatrics

Penn State Medical Center

National Institutes of Health

Columbia University Department of Rehabilitation

ScienceDirect

Stanford Health Care

Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Mount Sinai Hospital

Institute for Chronic Pain

University of Florida Health

American Family Physician

Cedars-Sinai

University of Maryland Medical Center

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San Diego, CA

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Colorado

Wonderful advice

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This is the best site for foot problem info.

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location unknown

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North Carolina

Many Thanks Dr Marc!
Thank you for your response. It sounds like a good plan to me. He did not cut the wart out first ...

KG

location unknown

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Florida

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a mom

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Bellevue, WA

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Jodi

location unknown

Foot stitches hurts when I stand

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