Sports Injuries Specialist

What sports injuries commonly affect feet?

Your foot and ankle withstand incredible pressure with everyday walking and standing. When you increase your speed, engage in quick movements, jump, or get active on hard or uneven surfaces, you significantly increase the load. That’s why sports injuries frequently strike the foot and ankle.

The sports injuries you’re most likely to encounter are:

• Ankle sprains
• Ankle fractures
• Tendon tears
• Achilles tendonitis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Stress fractures
• Jones fracture
• Sprained large toe
• Sesamoiditis
• Neuroma
• Posterior tibial tendonitis

These injuries frequently develop due to overuse or repetitive stress, using improper or no equipment, practicing poor technique, and excessive training or lack of conditioning.

What symptoms develop due to sports injuries?

When you injure your foot and/or ankle, you’ll experience symptoms that include:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Redness and warmth
• Joint instability
• Bone deformity
• Difficulty moving
• Inability to bear weight on the foot
• Difficulty straightening or moving toes

The pain may occur anywhere in your foot or ankle because it depends on the location of the underlying injury.

What first aid should I use for a sports injury?

As soon as you sustain a foot or ankle injury, implement the RICE protocol: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. While you rest, place an ice pack on the injury to reduce swelling and pain. Keep the ice on for 10-20 minutes and repeat the process about three times daily until the swelling goes down. Wearing a compression bandage and raising your foot helps to immobilize the injury and reduce inflammation.

How are sports injuries treated?

At your first visit, your podiatrist at Foot & Ankle of the Carolinas performs a thorough exam, reviews your medical history and symptoms, and may order diagnostic imaging. Each person’s treatment is based on the type and severity of their injury.

These are a few examples of treatments often prescribed to relieve your pain and promote healing:

• Rest
• Immobilization (brace, walking boot, cast)
• Activity modification
• Customized orthotics
• Corticosteroid injections
• Stem cell therapy

While conservative therapy is usually the first treatment they provide, some injuries require surgery right away. For example, your podiatrist may need to realign and stabilize a complex fracture, repair a torn ligament or tendon, or clean a wound or infection.

If you still have pain, instability, or limited mobility after conservative treatment, you may need surgery with one of the ABFAS board-certified food surgeons to correct the underlying problem.

When you need expert medical care for a sports injury, call Foot & Ankle of the Carolinas or schedule an appointment online.