If this was caused by an injury, such as a sprain, strain, trip, or dropping something on your foot, the following could be of some use: - Get off your foot and elevate it. Sit down in a chair or lie down in a bed and get the foot up. Let the other members of the family, if available, do the running around for you. - Apply a cold pack to control the swelling, such as crushed ice in a plastic bag, a cold gel pack, or a bag of frozen peas or green beans. Wrap the cold pack in a dishcloth so that it does not contact your skin directly. When the pack warms up, refreeze it and reapply it later. I use two 12 x 18 in gel packs, so one is always in the freezer. - It may also help to apply some warmth after the cold pack is removed. Warming a sore joint usually makes it feel better, unless it is badly swollen or still swelling up. In those cases use only cold packs. Heat can be applied using a warm gel pack, a fabric bag filled with uncooked rice and microwaved for a couple of minutes, or a heating pad set to low. - You may find that taking a little acetaminophen will help manage the pain. Note that these only provide symptomatic relief. If you have a sprain or strain, they should be sufficient. However, if the problem lingers for four or five days, you should seek medical advice because something else may be causing the problem. You may have broken or cracked a bone. You may have some form of infection in your foot or ankle. The early stages of several forms of arthritis also produce symptoms like this. If you are developing osteoarthritis or one of the numerous other forms of the disease, having it diagnosed early will help in the long-term treatment. Different forms of arthritis require different treatments.