Feet bear the weight of our entire bodies, so they are under a lot of stress. In many sports, the foot absorbs tremendous loading forces, sometimes reaching over 20 times the persons’ body weight. Foot injuries can come from a variety of causes but the main one is trauma. Injuries can also happen from improper warm-up, overuse, intense workouts, improper footwear and playing or running on hard surfaces such as concrete. Your Cherry Hill podiatrist will have a working knowledge of individual sports and the injuries that commonly occur from playing them and an in-depth understanding of treatment options. Some common sports related injuries include shin splints, turf toe and tendon issues.
What are shin splints?
Shin splints or also called tibial stress syndrome is an overuse injury usually resulting from daily running or aggressive walking. Inadequate footwear, poor biomechanics of the legs and feet, a tight Achilles tendon and weak ankle muscles can also be to blame for shin splints.
People who suffer from shin splints feel a throbbing or aching pain in their shins. The pain can occur during exercise, after exercise or sometimes the pain is constant. The pain usually occurs along either side of the shinbone or in the muscles. The area may also be painful to the touch. Your podiatrist will diagnose shin splints through a physical exam. You may also need x-rays to look for fractures in the tibia bone Treatment for shin splints involves icing the area to reduce pain and swelling, anti-inflammatory pain killers and cross-training. Cross-training refers to performing other low-impact exercises like stationary bike so you are taking a break from the exercise that caused the shin splints. Daily stretching and strengthening exercises are also recommended. Only resume running in increments when the symptoms have resolved.
Turf toe
Turf toe is a common injury in football players or dancers that describes a sprain in the ligaments around the big toe joint. It is caused by jamming the big toe or repeatedly pushing off the big toe as in running or jumping. This injury is also common in sports played on artificial turf such as soccer because the surface is not as soft as actual grass. Symptoms of turf toe include pain, swelling and limited joint movement. Treatment of turf toe includes a combination of rest, ice, compression and elevation. Time to let the condition heal is also important, which requires the foot to be rested and the joint protected from further injury. Your podiatrist may also tape the toe to the one next to it to relieve some stress on the toe. The foot may also be immobilized with a cast, boot or crutches. Surgery may be necessary in extreme cases.
Tendon injuries
Most tendon injuries such as tendinopathy are caused from chronic overuse of a tendon. There is a common misconception that tendon injuries are inflammatory so they are mislabeled as tendonitis. While some tendons can inflame, the most common injury is the degenerative condition of the tendons or the occurrence of tiny tears in and around the tendon which is called tendinopathy or tendinosos. One of the more common tendinosis injuries is to the Achilles tendon. This condition is caused by overuse and a lot of pushing off or stop-and-go motions while playing sports. Symptoms include swelling in the ankle area and mild to severe pain. This condition can be treated by rest, pain medicine and stretching exercises. Wearing appropriate, well-cushioned shoes is also helpful to prevent further injury. Based on the intensity of the injury, treatment may also mean wearing a brace, walking boot, going through physical therapy or surgery.
To learn more about sports related foot injuries and treatment, contact your Cherry Hill podiatrist today.