subject: Return To Play As Efficiently As Possible With Sports Podiatry [print this page] Whether you are a professional athlete, or a weekend warrior, a lot of stress and tension are placed on your feet and ankles. With baseball season ending, and football and hockey season beginning, you may be participating in various sports more often. Bearing the weight of the entire body, the foot is under tremendous stress. In many sports, the foot absorbs tremendous shearing and loading forces, sometimes reaching over 20 times the person's body weight. Whether you are in tune with the football season, or you simply enjoy recreational sports such as hockey, or even cycling, you can protect your feet and ankles from injury with the help of your podiatrist in Austin.
Let's Take a Look at Sports Podiatry
Sports podiatry treats injuries of the foot, ankle and leg by altering lower limb function. There are different methods used to obtain this, including orthotics, footwear recommendations, and exercises. A sports podiatrist will also analyze the way the foot strikes the ground and the chain of motion from the foot, knee, hip and back-from the ground up. By doing this, your sports podiatrist in Austin will determine whether there are any mechanical imbalances that may be contributing to your injury. It is important to maintain proper alignment within the lower limb as it helps to limit the stress placed on your body. This also helps to maintain good posture. Any problems with the position of your feet during stance are exaggerated during walking and are further increased while participating in various sports.
Stress Fractures and Ankle Sprains
A sprained ankle means you've torn tissue- a muscle, tendon or ligament. A sprain usually occurs following a sudden twisting movement of the foot or an awkward step on uneven surface. Pain and swelling are the best indicators that you've sprained an ankle. The severities of sprains vary, and to ensure full recovery, it's best to see a podiatrist for a thorough examination.
Stress fractures on the other hand are usually caused by overtraining and repeated stress on a hard surface over a period of time. Most stress fractures occur in the bones in the front of the foot that attach to the toes, the metatarsal bones. The best way to treat a stress fracture is rest. This usually means taking an extended time-out-usually six to eight weeks-from your routine sport to allow the bone to heal. Failing to provide an adequate amount of time for the fracture to repair itself could result in more persistent fractures and other serious foot problems in the future. It is often difficult to differentiate between a sprained ankle and a stress fracture, and an x-ray is typically necessary.
Overuse, improper footwear or poor training cause most sport-related injuries. In order to help prevent these injuries from occurring:
*Stretch. Warm up properly before you exercise, run or begin playing a sport.
*Use caution. Pay attention when walking or running on an uneven surface.
*Support your feet. Wear shoes that offer adequate support for your foot and are designed for your specific sport and foot type.
*Build strength. Maintain good muscle strength and flexibility with proper stretching and exercising
*Don't rush. Start any new exercise program slowly, and progress gradually. Don't exercise too hard or too long.
*Play it safe. If you experience pain, remember to rest. Never ignore symptoms and signs of an injury.
Your qualified Austin podiatrist can save you precious playing time, improve your game, and give you more time doing what you love to do rather than sitting on the sidelines.
