Foot or Ankle Injury? Call Us First

There’s no such thing as a “good” or “convenient” time to suffer a foot or ankle injury that requires urgent medical attention. You need your feet for almost everything you do, almost every single day!

That being said, some times are definitely worse than others. With the state and country still dealing with COVID-19, now may be one of those times. In fact, the current situation has actually increased the risk of certain foot problems!

If you do develop an urgent foot concern at this time, it’s important you get the care you need as quickly and as safely as possible. In many cases, that means you should consider making a call to our office first!

“STAY AT HOME” DOESN’T NECESSARY MEAN FEWER INJURIES.

YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT, DESPITE MANY PLACES REMAINING CLOSED AND PEOPLE GENERALLY STAYING AT HOME MORE THAN NORMAL, WE HAVE BEEN SEEING A STEADY STREAM OF PATIENTS WITH URGENT NEEDS, INCLUDING:

• Heel pain
• Ankle sprains
• Fractures
• Puncture wounds

It seems counter-intuitive, but there are some reasons why it makes perfect sense.

A big one is the fact that people who are spending all day at home typically aren’t wearing shoes very often (if at all).

Under normal, pre-pandemic circumstances, chances are you spent most of your day in shoes, and those shoes were providing your heels and arches with a considerable degree of cushioning and support. When that support is removed, your feet suddenly have to deal with all that weight and pressure on their own, and this can lead to overuse injuries like heel pain and stress fractures. Plus, bare feet are more likely to suffer puncture wounds, stubbed toes, and direct traumas.

Another reason may be that, with the summer weather returning and stay-at-home orders gradually being lifted, many people are significantly increasing their physical activity levels in a relatively short period of time.

During the “quarantine spring,” many of us were not able to maintain our foot and ankle conditioning as much as we might have liked. Or, perhaps, you were just so bored of being inside that you decided to become a serious runner just to get out of the house!

Either way, a dramatic and sudden increase in activity is a sure way to increase your risk of a serious injury. Your body needs time to work up to increased levels of stress and difficulty—time that you may not have given yourself this year, considering the circumstances!

URGENT CARE IN THE TIME OF COVID-19—CALL US FIRST!

As you are probably aware, hospitals, emergency departments, and urgent care centers are just about the worst places you can be if you’re a healthy person. In the middle of a pandemic, that’s especially true.

So, even if you’re currently hobbling through your days with severe heel pain, you still might be a little nervous about going to see a doctor. We totally get it!

But the problem is that urgent matters can’t (or at least shouldn’t) just be ignored. Putting off necessary treatment for heel pain, a sprain, or other urgent need will typically only make that condition more painful, more serious, more difficult to treat, and more likely to cause long-term complications.

But the good news is that you have an alternative to the urgent care center. You have us!

There are many reasons why you should strongly consider calling us first.

We’re foot and ankle experts

We’re not generalists dealing with any and every illness or injury that anyone might contract. We are specially trained and highly experienced to deal with your foot problem.

We can offer Telemedicine.

If your condition is not a 911-level emergency, a telemedicine consult may be the safest and smartest choice. Dr. Kelly can examine your foot over video, talk with you about your symptoms and situation, and even make home treatment recommendations.

We provide a low-risk environment for in-office appointments.

We are a private, independent practice and our building receives very minimal foot traffic. Compared to an urgent care center, there is much less risk of being exposed to COVID-19 (or any other communicable disease, for that matter). Plus, we are continuing to maintain extensive health and safety protocols and standards that exceed the guidelines set by the CDC and the state.

We can often see you very quickly.

At a first-come, first-serve urgent care center, you may well be at the “back of the line” when you arrive. If you call us first, it’s possible we can get you in for a guaranteed same-day or next-day appointment..

Plus, it’s not just you who benefits by making an appointment with us instead of urgent care. By doing so, you help reduce the (currently stressful) workload for those doctors and medical staff and allow them to focus more of their attention on other patients with critical needs

DON’T DELAY AN URGENT FOOT OR ANKLE NEED.

DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE ENTIRE LAS VAGAS FOOTCARE TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING HARD TO SERVE OUR PATIENTS WITH THE HIGH-QUALITY FOOT AND ANKLE CARE THEY NEED—AND KEEPING THEM OUT OF OVERWHELMED HOSPITALS, ERS, AND URGENT CARE CENTERS.

Our top priority is always to make sure your urgent needs are addressed quickly, completely, and without bringing any unnecessary risks to you or your loved ones. That’s not changing anytime soon.

So if you’ve recently developed a concerning foot problem—or you’ve just been putting off medical care due to the current environment—please connect with us! You can call our office in Las Vegas at 702-605-6220, or request an appointment online. We are always grateful for the opportunity to serve you.