With the snow finally melting and warmer temperatures on the way, morning joggers are out earlier, and sports activities for both kids and adults are getting into full swing. While spring sports are good for your physical and mental health, there’s always the risk of injury, especially in more strenuous sports. 
Spring Sports: Common Foot and Ankle Injuries
There's no question that spring is a great time to become active again, but we see our fair share of patients with foot and ankle injuries this time of year. While these injuries can occur from falling in a lacrosse match or spraining an ankle while running track, they can also happen by simply wearing the wrong kind of shoe that rubs the on foot repeatedly, injuring the foot over the course of a sports season.
Spring Sports That Can Cause Injuries
- Baseball
- Cross country running
- Golf
- Lacrosse
- Rowing
- Skateboarding
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and field
- Beach volleyball
- Swimming
- Field hockey
- Soccer
If you or your child suffers an obvious fracture or another injury in the middle of a sports match, it's important to see a medical professional right away. Even a minor bump or scrape can keep you from enjoying your favorite activities if it isn't treated promptly. A swollen foot that throbs with pain every time you take a step will obviously put you out of the game. But a foot or ankle injury that isn’t properly treated could lead to future complications, including arthritis, chronic tendon inflammation, and instability in the foot/ankle.
Types of Sports Foot Injuries
- Achilles tendinitis
- Impact fracture when falling or getting hit in a sporting event
- Inflammation and swelling
- Ingrown toenails after blunt trauma to the toe in a sports accident
- Plantar fasciitis
- Sprains to ligaments in the foot or ankle
- Stress fractures to foot bones from repetitive motions like sports drills
- Strains to muscles and tendons in the foot or ankle
- Overuse injuries
How a Podiatrist Can Help Your Sports-Related Foot Injury
In some cases, less serious foot injuries during sports accidents can be handled with rest at home; the RICE method: Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate; and changes on the field or practice track. Simply taking the time to perform warmups before and cooldowns after physical activity can make a big difference. Warmup exercises are important for sports injury prevention, and this is especially true if you’ve had an injury in the past. When you warm up your body, you ease stiffness, increase blood flow, and decrease your chance of being injured.
But sometimes, no matter how purposeful you are with your warmup routine, you may still suffer a sports injury that needs extensive treatment.
Potential Foot and Ankle Treatment for Sports Injuries
- Biologics
- Medication for pain symptoms
- MLS laser therapy
- Surgery
- Customized orthotics to reduce swelling and prevent future injuries and pain, which can be particularly important in cases of an atypical foot shape
Before you begin any course of treatment, you need to see a skilled podiatrist for an examination and diagnosis. A comprehensive plan tailored to your unique foot injury is the best option for a full and fast recovery.
Seeing a podiatrist as soon as you can isn’t just for dealing with pain symptoms and getting back to playing your game, however. In sports accidents involving minors, there are much bigger stakes involved. Because the bones are still forming and growing in younger patients, injuries that aren’t treated properly may cause long-term or permanent foot problems.
Get Help From a Skilled Podiatrist
If you’ve experienced a sports-related foot injury this year, take the first step toward relief, so you can get back to the sport you love. Schedule an appointment with a skilled podiatrist. Ask for an appointment online here, or give our dedicated team of foot specialists a call at:
- Burley: 208-678-2727
- Twin Falls: 208-733-0436