Sports Injuries
There are few elements of an active lifestyle you can do where you don’t need to use your feet and ankles. Whether to propel yourself upward, charge down a field, or simply stay upright and stable, you need a good foundation to get anywhere, right?
Unfortunately, for as integral as your feet and ankles are, it can be relatively easy to hurt them. Sports injuries of the foot and ankle come in a variety of forms, but all should receive the proper amount of attention to ensure you can get back to action quickly and without any risks of long-term trouble.
Types of Sports Injuries
In a broad sense, sports injuries can be split into two categories:
- Those caused by a sudden force or impact, such as sprains and broken bones.
- Those caused by overuse. These include stress fractures, Achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, and others.
Overuse injuries tend to occur when the body endures too much stress all at once or over too long a period of time. While our bodies need to be “broken down” in ways to grow stronger, we must also rest long enough for our bodies to have a chance to do so. Training at too high of
In other cases, you may be experiencing too much stress in an area, but it is not the result of overuse as much as a foot shape that affects the way you move or shifts too much force to a certain location as you do.
If you experience any form of pain while running, playing, or exercise—beyond the standard minor muscle ache of working out—it is a sign that something is wrong. Stop your activity, keep weight off the affected foot or ankle, and give us a call.
Getting You Back on Track
We will conduct a full evaluation to determine the source of the problem and the best course of recovery.
In many cases, rest and perhaps some immobilization will be the best way to go. A regimen might also involve stretches and physical therapy to keep the foot and ankle strong as it recovers and gets back to full strength sooner.
Additional forms of treatment might also be recommended. Our
In cases where an abnormality in gait or foot structure increases the risk of re-injury, changes in footwear and training plans may be recommended. We might also prescribe custom orthotics to more properly redistribute weight and forces across the feet.
If a sports injury is severe enough (such as a torn Achilles tendon), or more conservative methods have not worked, we might recommend surgery to repair the issue or relieve pain. Surgery is very
A Foot Coach in Your Corner
The best treatment for a sports injury is preventing one from occurring in the first place! By addressing imbalances in gait and other foot and ankle matters now, you reduce your risk of injuries in general.
And when an injury does happen, treating it properly will help ensure it heals well, reducing the chances of instability and re-injury in the future. This is especially important for injuries to the ankle.
If you need help with sports injury prevention or treatment, give us a call at (480) 917-2300 or schedule an appointment online.
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