by WRNW

 

It’s a literal pain to get back on your feet after a foot injury. In fact, the foot is one of the top five body parts attributing to work days lost. In continuation of our Cost of Injury* series, let’s dive deeper in the cost of foot injuries and how to prevent them.

Number Crunching

Looking at the combined cost of foot injuries and wages lost, a work related foot injury costs an average of $28,000. By comparison, here are some common foot injury types:

Foot Fracture

There are 26 bones in the foot. Due to the weight bearing function of the foot, these bones are susceptible to stress fractures or an acute fracture due to a crushing injury or a slip, trip and fall. Typical medical intervention for any fracture includes an x-ray (cost ranging $170 – $2,000) and casting ($250). If surgery is needed, the price tag can increase by $5,100 – $13,600.

Foot/Ankle Sprain and Strain

With 33 joins, there are a lot of corresponding ligaments and tendons. Rolling an ankle can result in a sprain in your main ligaments and strain to the surrounding muscles and tendons, and a lot of discomfort. Looking at lateral ankle sprains, the most common type of foot and ankle sprains, the median cost is $1,000!

Plantar Fasciitis

The plantar fascia is the band of tissue running along the bottom of the foot. The tissue can become irritated due to prolonged standing on hard surfaces. While plantar fasciitis is easy to diagnose and can resolve with proper footwear, stretches and exercises, it could result in surgery. Surgery can cost $10,000 or more!

Prevention

Workplace foot injuries can be caused by punctures, crushing, lacerations and slip, trip and fall incidents. When these do occur, proper footwear can reduce the risk of injury. Yes, those steel-toed shoes aren’t just a fashion statement, but vital for injury prevention!

Try these tips to get even more protection from your shoes:

– Implement a Shoe Rotation – on day 1, wear pair A. Day 2, wear pair B.

– Evaluate Your Equipment – is there noticeable wear and tear on the insoles? Switch them out with new ones! Is the tread on the outsole smooth and worn down? Time to go shoe shopping!

The Right Fit With Superfeet

Over-the-counter shoe insoles aren’t the only option. We recommend Superfeet insoles for the industrial athlete.

Check out the Superfeet Fit Finder to ensure the RIGHT insole for the RIGHT fit. Use promo code WorkRightNW2022 to receive 15% off your order and free shipping at checkout.

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*Keep Reading! Cost of Injury – The Wrist, The Knee, The Shoulder, and The Back

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Be sure to check out our other blogs for further injury prevention education and tips from Work Right NW!