i have never had feet problems, but for the past 3 days i have had intense pain in my middle to outside part of my left foot. it is not swollen or bruised, but is very difficult to walk on. ibuprofen does very little to help. i am a teacher and it is very hard to stay off my foot during the day. should i put ice or heat on it and should i try to stay completely off of it for a day?

Icing an area is always the key treatment for at least the first 24 hours. The Ibuprofen will help to reduce the inflammation. Rest is also good if you are able to do so. However, if the problem continues to occur then you should seek a medical consult and treatment. Do you recall any thing that you may have done differently? Did you wear a new pair of shoes or begin an exercise routine? These are items that you should be looking into and please let us know if you have any other questions.

Foot.com staff member