Sports Injuries – How a Podiatrist Can Help

Posted on July 20, 2010 by Admin

Sports injuries relate to lower limbs injury. Common types of injuries seen by the sports podiatrist are shin pain, lower back pain, knee pain, foot pain, heel pain and many others.

A specialist podiatrist identify sports injuries by studying the patients’ biochemical structure using a combination of clinical assessment techniques. By doing so, the podiatrist figures that the patient’s injury could be caused by poor structural alignment or function.

Sports Injury Treatments:

• Orthotics – This is a device worn in the footwear to improve foot and limb function, which could relieve symptoms and prevent injury. Orthotics is also known as insoles. This is commonly used by a runner whose foot rolls from outside in. The abnormal function of the foot leads to pain and injury. Insoles help normalize the roll of the foot.

• Footwear – Footwear advice plays a major part of the podiatrist’s treatment. They identify the foot structure of each patient and offer advice on which type of shoes to wear.

• Padding and Tapping – This is used to aid acute foot pain. This is used to re-distribute pressure from painful areas. Following this treatment the podiatrists determines if insoles or orthotics may be an effective part of the treatment.

• Stretching Exercises – Strength and muscle flexibility is assessed during the biochemical assessment as this can be the significant factor contributing to the injury. Sports podiatrists will usually advice a few stretching and muscle strengthening advice as part of the treatment program.

The other common sports injuries are:

• Sprained ankle or broken ankle – Sprained ankle is quite common injury in sports and is caused when the ankle turns in a way that the foot faces inwards, damaging the tissues and ligaments on the outside on the ankle.

• Shin Splints – The pain occurs on the front inside of the shin bone and can arise from a number of causes. However it most commonly occurs due to inflammation of the periostium of the shin.

• Calf Strain – Athletes are the more likely to be affected by this pain as they have tight calf muscles.

• Achilles tendon rupture – This tendon runs from the calf muscle to heel of the foot, total rupture of this tendon is more common in older men who recreational athletes.

• Achilles pain – Pain in this region is caused due to large amount of walking or cycling.

The above mentioned sports injuries are also treated by assessing the biochemical structure and the treatment follows the similar pattern.

A veteran of 25 years, Dr. Brown is a renowned Michigan podiatrist specializing in foot surgery, and the treatment of many conditions related to foot and ankle pain such as sports injuries.

.