Magic Valley residents never slow down. We’re hiking, camping, fishing, or hunting when the weather is warm enough, and skiing or snowmobiling when it isn’t! In such an active community, sports-related injuries of the foot and ankle are a fact of life.
If you’ve injured your lower limbs, don’t try to shrug it off or play through the pain. These are sensitive, complex structures that need focused attention. Our foot and ankle experts work hard to get you back up and playing at full strength as quickly as possible, using the latest advances in research and technology when applicable.
Common Foot and Ankle Sports Injuries
Some injuries happen in the blink of an eye. Others develop slowly, with each and every step you take adding a small amount to the discomfort. In either case, prompt treatment is important to help you stay at your best and prevent even worse injuries in the future. Some common sports injuries we treat include:
- Heel pain (particularly plantar fasciitis)
- Ankle sprains
- Tendinitis
- Broken bones
- Stress fractures
- Shin pain (shin splints)
When injuries are not treated—or care is not taken to rehab them properly—more serious issues may develop. This includes worsening chronic pain resulting from the original injury, but may also include secondary problems such as:
- Chronically unstable, wobbly ankles due to a bad sprain that hasn’t healed, or multiple sprains suffered over a long period of time
- Reduction of muscle strength, flexibility, or range of motion
- Early development of arthritis in joints
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What Should You Do If You Suffer an Injury to Your Feet or Ankles?
If a painful injury is affecting your activity, do not try to “walk it off.” Pain is a clear sign that something is wrong, and continuing to aggravate the injury will only worsen it.
Instead, stop your activity and begin basic RICE therapy—rest, ice, compression, and elevation—to help minimize pain and swelling and promote healing during the first few days after the injury.
For severe pain or obvious acute injuries like ankle sprains, call our office as soon as possible. For mild to moderate aches and pains, call us if your symptoms do not improve within a few days, get worse, or continue to return.
Personalized Treatment, Focused On Your Lifestyle
Our treatment options for sports injuries include everything from traditional conservative care to state-of-the-art non-surgical therapies. We’re strong believers that you shouldn’t have to go out to the big city to get the most advanced and effective treatment options, so we’ve brought them here to our Magic Valley practice.
Advanced treatments we are able to offer active individuals looking for an extra edge include:
- MLS laser therapy. A technology used by professional athletes and regular folks alike to get back in the game in a matter of weeks instead of months—even after significant injuries. This incredible technology harnesses light energy as “fuel” for your cells, kickstarting metabolism, vascularization, and tissue repair mechanisms to accelerate the healing process.
- Advanced custom orthotics. For athletes, we often prescribe semi-rigid orthotics made from graphite. This is a great choice for active people, since the material is durable enough to withstand heavy use, rigid enough to keep your feet stabilized, and at the same time still extremely lightweight, flexible, and comfortable.
Of course, not every individual will want or need one of these advanced options. For some, a little bit of rest and a new pair of shoes is all they really need! It all depends on your condition, your lifestyle, and your goals.
We personalize all our treatment plans to suit the needs of our patients first—everything you need, nothing you don’t. We’ll lay out all your options and give you honest feedback so you can make informed decisions about your care.
Ready to get started? We’d love to see you in either Twin Falls or Burley. Give Canyon Foot + Ankle a call today
Keeping You on Your Feet, Now and in the Future
We’re not just foot and ankle experts and medical professionals here at Canyon Foot + Ankle. We’re also hikers, backpackers, runners, and sports lovers ourselves. We understand your passion and we work hard to do absolutely everything in our power to not only get you back on your feet quickly, but provide you with the guidance and resources you will need to prevent future injuries, too.
Contact us to schedule your appointment by calling our office in Twin Falls at (208) 733-0436, or in Burley at (208) 678-2727.