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Is it possible to get early acute compartment syndrome near the cuboid from a velco shoe strap?

Is it possible to get early acute compartment syndrome after foot irritation from walking and a shoe strap being too tight? (A velcro strap near the cuboid.)

Soon after walking, my shoe strap started feeling tight and my left foot hurt worse with each step. I took my shoe off for about 20 minutes while sitting down, then put it back on to walk to my car and kept the strap more loose. I was in agony with each step on my left foot.

It still hurt very badly even when I wasn't putting weight on it. When I got home I took my shoes and socks off and my left foot was purplish-blue compared to the right which was more white. The left was also slightly swolen above the cuboid area. I could barely move my foot and toes in any direction and my foot felt somewhat tingly and partially numb. The pain was moderate-severe without touch or weight bearing and very severe with weight bearing.

Long story shorter, I ended up at the ER. I thought perhaps it was a stress fracture. The doctor also thought it was a bone issue, but did not do a weight bearing x ray due to the pain. They did 3 x rays at different angles but nothing abnormal was seen.

The doctor did find a specific sensitive place in the foot that was along the 5th metatarsal bone area. I was advised to use crutches, given an orthopedic shoe and referred to an orthopedist.

I arrived at my appointment 2 days later, took off the shoe, and had 2 perfectly white feet with no pain, standing or otherwise except for a slight ache every now and then on the left edge of my foot. I was told I didn't need the crutches or ortho shoe anymore. The doc didn't know what was wrong with it except maybe capsulitis or waste-a-doctor's-time-itis. I asked if it could be a nerve problem and was quickly told no.

I was told to come back if it happened again so the doc could see the swelling/ color/ pain. This was a Friday. Doc said just to put ice on it if it happened over the weekend and wait until Monday to come in. He seemed shocked I had gone to the ER considering how normal it appeared 2 days later. I think he was trying to keep me from going back there unnecessarily. In a way I appreciate that but after doing some research of my symptoms online, compartment syndrome seemed the most compatible to my symptoms to me, and if it happened again over the weekend, I was afraid it could be an emergency.

Fortunately it didn't happen, but I am wondering if that could have been what happened to my foot. Neither the ER doctor nor the ortho doctor looked at the shoes I had been wearing. The ER doc did take pulses which were okay, but I read that pulses can be normal in compartment syndrome. My blood pressure was high at the ER. This could have been from the pain itself or maybe from cs? I would just like another opinion about what could have happened and wondering if early acute compartment syndrome was a possibility, that resolved on its own after pressure was released time went by. Thank you for your input.

3361 day(s) ago

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