Sports Injuries

There are many different reasons patients come to our Oklahoma City podiatrist office, but one of the most common is injury during exercise or sporting activities. Staying physically active is simply essential for optimal health and wellbeing, yet the unfortunate reality is that it is impossible to eliminate all risk of common sports injuries.

There is no reason to let that fact keep you from leading an active lifestyle, though! As we will see, sport injury treatment is often conservative in nature and there are several ways of preventing sports injuries to keep you safe in the first place.

Common Sports Injuries for Feet and Ankles

There are many different ways to hurt your feet and ankles while exercising or participating in athletic activities, but several tend to be more commonplace than others:

• Plantar fasciitis. This condition results from overuse of the plantar fascia (band of tissue found on the bottom of the foot) and brings sharp pain with the first steps of the day.
• Sprained ankles. Ankle sprains happen even to non-athletes, but sports certainly increase the risk of this common injury that shares symptoms with fractures.
• Achilles tendinitis. Individuals who only participate in sports on the weekend (“weekend warriors”) are most susceptible to this particular injury marked by pain and stiffness along the Achilles tendon.
• Stress fractures. Muscle tissue helps keep some of the physical forces of running and jumping away from bones. When muscles fatigue, they have a diminished capacity to provide that support, and bones are more likely to develop hairline fractures which cause pain.
• Ankle fractures. An ankle fracture can have similar symptoms to a sprain, so it is important to see us for an accurate diagnosis when pain is present in the area.

Sport Injury Treatment Options

No one ever wants to be hurt, but the silver lining for common sports injuries is the fact that many conservative care methods are successful in treating them. Our patients benefit from customized treatment plans that include rest, immobilization, ice therapy, compression, elevation, medication, orthotic devices, and braces. Physical therapy and exercises are quite beneficial for strengthening a weakened area and restoring range of motion.

When surgery is required, you can take comfort in the fact that Foot & Ankle Center of Oklahoma offers surgical procedures performed by a skilled, experienced foot surgeon. Before your procedure, we will make sure you know exactly what to expect from the process.

Tips for Preventing Sports Injuries

Our office is proud to provide effective sports injury treatment for patients from the OKC community, but we provide tips to avoid painful conditions. Following are some of the best tips:

• Choose appropriate shoes that fit well. Wearing the right shoes for your activity is important, but so too is ensuring a proper fit. Athletic footwear should not be too tight nor too loose, and feature solid arch support and ample cushioning for the heel.
• Avoid overuse. This is important when starting a workout program, but certainly applies any time you lead an active life. If you are just beginning an exercise or running program, be sure to start at low levels of duration and intensity and gradually build them up over time.
• Prepare your body for activity. Before running, working out, or playing sports, take five to ten minutes to warm up, and then follow with dynamic stretches.
• Cross-train. This certainly ties in with avoiding overuse, but incorporate low-impact activities into your workout program. Cycling, swimming, and yoga are great options.

Professional Sports Injury Care in OKC

When injury strikes, your first move needs to be protecting the injured area by stopping whatever activity you were performing. As soon as you are able, contact our Oklahoma City podiatrist office so we can diagnose your condition and determine the most effective treatment. We will assess the condition to understand the extent of the injury and use that knowledge to create a unique foot care plan for you.

For more information, call Foot & Ankle Center of Oklahoma at (405) 418-2676 and our staff will be glad to assist you. If you’d prefer, take advantage of our online form to schedule your appointment with us today.