Midfoot Sprain: What is It, Causes, & Treatments

If you've encountered a midfoot sprain before, you know how painful it can feel. Today, for those familiar and unfamiliar with midfoot sprains, we'll be covering what type of injury this is, causes, and some treatments you can use today.

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What is a Midfoot Sprain? 

A midfoot sprain is a common sports injury that can affect the ligaments and soft tissue in the middle of your foot. A midfoot sprain can be diagnosed based on 3 different severity levels:

Grade I: There is stretching and microscopic tearing of the ligaments.

Grade II: The ligaments are partially torn.

Grade III: The ligaments are completely torn.

What Causes Midfoot Sprains?

There are non-contact sprains that are the result of excessive cutting and twisting, and there are also on-contact sprains that are the result of a collision, such as landing on someone else’s foot when coming down from jumping. 

Who Usually Gets Midfoot Sprains? 

Athletes often get midfoot sprains due to the intensity of their respective sports. However, midfoot sprains can also be common in women due to instability in high heels, as well as dancers, who can also be respectively classified as athletes. 

What Sports Are Common for Midfoot Sprains

Basketball, soccer, and football are some of the most common sports that you’ll see midfoot sprains. Each of the aforementioned sports requires high-speed running, cutting, and twisting, while also being contact sports. Although midfoot sprains are less likely in sports such as volleyball, tennis, or baseball, any sport that requires acceleration, deceleration, and jumping can be prone to midfoot sprains. 

How to Treat a Midfoot Sprain

Treating a midfoot sprain requires several different interventions. First step is to relieve any pain and inflammation with rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Utilizing these 4 interventions immediately (and for the subsequent 48 hours) after the onset of your midfoot sprain can greatly help your recovery timeline. Once pain and inflammation has subsided, it becomes important to either work with a physical therapist to regain mobility and strength back in your foot, or independently engage in a corrective exercise program that will allow you to recuperate efficiently. Once you feel strong enough, make sure you properly test your foot’s ability to withstand your sport or activity in order to prevent recurrence of a midfoot sprain.

When to See a Doctor

If your initial course of action that includes rest, ice, compression, and elevation does not help relieve pain and inflammation, then you should seek an appointment with an orthopedist that specializes in foot injuries. At that point, the orthopedist will examine your midfoot and order any diagnostics, such as X-Ray or MRI, that may give further insight to how your midfoot injury should be treated. The orthopedist can also provide a prescription for physical therapy if necessary.

How to Prevent a Midfoot Sprain

Preventing a midfoot sprain often includes strengthening exercises, as well as mobility exercises. These exercises may include lower body loads, such as single leg squats or single leg lunges, that force your foot to stabilize through full ranges of motion. Proprioceptive exercises are also valuable, as they can challenge your balance and your neuromuscular system by applying a variable such as a balance board, or closing one eye. As a result, the muscle contractions in your foot fire more reactively. 

Ease Your Midfoot Sprain Today!

What are you waiting for? Take care of your midfoot today with our tips and pieces of advice.