January 2023

Foot Therapy for Sports Injuries

Athletes are used to engaging in high-intensity workouts. Consequently, athletes are at an increased risk for enduring foot or ankle injuries. The most common way to treat these types of injuries is the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation). However, braces and casts may be required in some cases. If you are suffering from any of these injuries, it is best that you seek help from your podiatrist right away.

Achilles Tendinitis

Achilles tendinitis is a type of overuse injury of the Achilles tendon, which is the tendon connecting the calf muscles to the heel. This type of injury commonly occurs in runners who increase the intensity of their workouts. Symptoms for this condition start off as a mild ache in the back leg or above the heel. Some people experience tenderness around the area in the morning, however this feeling tends to improve over time.  If you suspect you have Achilles tendinitis, you doctor may order an x-ray to show whether your Achilles tendon has calcified. Common treatment options for this condition include rest, ice, exercise, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is a condition that is commonly found in women. It is a painful condition that occurs when the bands of tissue that connect the heel to the toes become inflamed. Symptoms for plantar fasciitis are heel pain that worsens in the morning and improves throughout the day with activity. Your podiatrist will diagnose plantar fasciitis by checking for tender areas on your foot. In rare cases, an x-ray may be required for a more thorough examination. There are various treatment options that may be used to help someone with this ailment. Depending on the specific case, some of these options include: physical therapy, shockwave therapy, and in rare cases, surgery.

Stress Fractures

Stress fractures are tiny cracks in the bone that occur due to repetitive force. These fractures are typically the result of overuse injuries such as repeatedly running and jumping. Symptoms of a stress fracture include pain when exercising, tenderness, and mild swelling. To diagnose a stress fracture, your doctor will likely ask you a series of questions about your overall health and the activities you are involved in. Next, an x-ray will likely be performed to check for the fracture. In some cases, fractures don’t appear on x-rays until weeks afterward. In these cases, an MRI or a bone scan may be required. Typical stress fractures may be treated by resting the area and taking a break from highly intense activities.  

Ankle Sprain

Ankle sprains occur when the ligaments that support the ankle are stretched far beyond their limits. These injuries occur when you roll, twist, or turn your ankle in an awkward way. Ligaments are essential in helping us move around because they are responsible for stabilizing the joints. Usually, sprained ankles occur due to ligaments on the outer part of the ankle becoming stretched. Symptoms of ankle sprains are swelling, bruising, instability of the ankle, and restricted range of motion. Normally, when people sprain their ankle, they will hear a popping sound during the injury. Depending on the severity, ankle sprains are graded based on how much damage has occurred to the ligaments. Grade 1 is mild, grade 2 is moderate, and grade 3 is severe.

Sesamoiditis is a condition in which the sesamoid bones in the forefoot become inflamed from physical activity. Sesamoid bones are bones that are not connected to other bones but are located in tendons or muscle. Two of these sesamoid bones are very small and located on the underside of the foot near the big toe. Athletes such as runners, baseball and football players, and dancers are likely to experience sesamoiditis. Those with high arched feet, flat feet, or runners who run on the ball of their foot are also prone to suffer from sesamoiditis.

Symptoms include pain or throbbing on the ball of the foot near the big toe. The pain generally starts with a mild throbbing but gradually builds up to shooting pain. Bruising, swelling, and redness are possible, but in most cases, these symptoms are not present. However, moving the big toe can result in pain and difficulty.

To conduct a diagnosis, the podiatrist will examine the ball of the foot and big toe. They will look for any outliers and check the movement of the toe. X-rays will be taken to rule out any other conditions and ensure that it is sesamoiditis.

Treatment for sesamoiditis is generally mild and includes rest, anti-inflammatory and pain medication, and ice treatments to deal with the swelling and pain. Orthotics may be needed with people who have flat or high arched feet to relieve pressure off the bones. In some cases the toe will be taped and immobilized to allow healing. The podiatrist may also decide to use a steroid injection to help with swelling as well. If you have sesamoiditis, you shouldn’t engage in any intensive activity, as it may inflame the area and worsen your pain. If the sesamoid bone has fractured, surgery may be required to remove the sesamoid bone.

If you are suffering from sesamoiditis or are experiencing symptoms similar to sesamoiditis, you should stop all physical activity that puts strain on the area. Furthermore you should see a podiatrist for a diagnosis to see if you have sesamoiditis.

Blisters are pockets of fluid that occur under the top layer of your skin. These fluid pockets are usually filled with pus, blood, or serum. Blisters may itch or hurt and can appear as a single bubble or in clusters.

The most common types of blisters are friction blisters. This type of blister may be caused by wearing shoes that are too tight. Friction blisters can also occur on the hands. A change in temperature may also cause blisters on the feet. In the freezing air, frostbite on your toes can lead to blisters, as well as sunburn from hot weather.

The best way to treat a blister is to keep it clean and dry. Most blisters will get better on their own. Once the skin absorbs the fluid within the blister, it will flatten and eventually peel off. You should avoid popping your blister unless you podiatrist does it for you. Additional treatment options include applying an ice pack to the blister or using over-the-counter blister bandages to cover the affected area.

If your blister becomes discolored, inflamed, or worsens it is advised that you speak to your podiatrist. Blisters that are yellow, green, or purple may be infected and require immediate medical attention. Blisters that are abnormally colored may be a sign of a more serious underlying health condition such as herpes.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD), or peripheral arterial disease, is a circulatory problem in which there is a reduction of blood flow to the limbs due to narrowed arteries. When peripheral artery disease develops, the extremities do not receive enough blood flow; this may cause symptoms to develop such as claudication, or leg pain when walking. The legs are the most common site of peripheral artery disease.

Claudication, or leg pain when walking, is one of several symptoms that can develop due to peripheral artery disease. Other symptoms caused by the disease include painful cramping in the hips, thighs, or calves after certain activities; leg numbness or weakness; coldness in the lower leg or foot; sores on the lower extremities that do not heal; hair loss on the lower extremities; and a missing or weak pulse in the lower extremities. In more severe cases, pain may even occur when the body is at rest or when lying down.

Peripheral artery disease is typically caused by atherosclerosis, a condition in which fatty deposits build up in the arterial walls and reduce blood flow. Smoking, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are some of the risk factors for peripheral artery disease.

If you are experiencing pain, numbness, or other symptoms in the lower extremities, see your healthcare professional immediately. Diagnosed peripheral artery disease can be treated with various medications, angioplasty and surgery, exercise programs, or alternative medicine. It is important to consult a healthcare professional to determine the best treatment for you.

In most cases, foot surgery is often chosen as the last available option for conditions that have otherwise been unsuccessfully treated. Surgery may be necessary for several reasons, including the removal of foot deformities (e.g. bone spurs or bunions), arthritis problems, reconstruction due to injury, and congenital malformations (e.g. club foot or flat feet). Regardless of one’s age, foot surgery may be the only successful option for treatment for certain conditions.

The type of surgery one undergoes depends on the type of foot condition the patient has. For the removal of a bunion growth, a bunionectomy is necessary. If the bones in the feet need to be realigned or fused together, a surgical fusion of the foot is needed. For pain or nerve issues, a patient may require surgery in which the tissues surrounding the painful nerve are removed. Initially, less invasive treatments are generally attempted; surgery is often the last measure taken if other treatments are unsuccessful.

While in many cases surgery is often deemed as the final resort, choosing surgery comes with certain benefits. The associated pain experienced in relation to the particular condition is often relieved with surgery, allowing patients to quickly resume daily activities. The greatest benefit, however, is that surgery generally eliminates the problem immediately.

Podiatry history has shown that foot treatments continue to evolve over time. In the field of foot surgery, endoscopic surgery is just one of the many advanced forms of surgery. As technology vastly improves so too will the various techniques in foot surgery, which already require smaller and smaller incisions with the use of better and more efficient tools. Thanks to such innovations, surgery is no longer as invasive as it was in the past, allowing for faster and easier recoveries.