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 an intensity than we are currently conditioned, or too many days in a row, can lead to injury. 

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.  

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 multiwave locked system (MLS) laser therapy has effective uses for many soft tissue sports injuries, and has been a go-to in professional sports for some time now. It is associated with faster healing times and increased pain relief. 

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 uncommon, and only considered when the situation demands it.