Living an active lifestyle is so important to staying healthy, but it can also result in a few injuries along the way. When you injure yourself playing a sport, the most important thing to do is seek treatment immediately so you can heal properly and get back to the field, gym, or studio much more quickly.
Different sports can be linked to different injuries. Here's what we normally see in our Gastonia office:
Martial Arts and Kickboxing Injuries
A variety of injuries can occur as a result of martial arts or kickboxing, which is no surprise considering both sports focus on the lower extremities. Common foot injuries include plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, sesamoiditis, and ankle sprains. Stretching is recommended for a minimum of 15 minutes before performing any kicking or punching activities.
Aerobics or Dancing Injuries
Proper shoes are crucial to successful, injury-free aerobics. Shoes should provide sufficient cushioning and shock absorption to compensation for pressure on the foot many times greater than found in walking. They must have good medial-lateral stability. Impact forces from aerobics can reach up to six times the force of gravity, and that force is transmitted to each of the 26 bones in the foot.
Injuries from Team Sports
Activities such as football, basketball, soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse often lead to ankle and big toe joint injuries as a result of play on artificial surfaces. Big toe injuries, also called "turf toe," often result from hyperextension of the big toe joint as the heel is raised off the ground. An external force is placed on the great toe and the soft tissue structures that support the big toe on the top are torn or ruptured.
Symptoms of turf toe include pain, tenderness, and swelling of the toe joint. Often there is a sudden acute onset of pain during push-off phase of running. Usually, the pain is not enough to keep the athlete from physical activities or finishing a game. Continued exercise causes further injury to the big toe and will dramatically increase the healing time.
What are exercises that can be done with minimal to no foot pain?
First of all, if you are having foot pain in general, then you need to be seen by one of our qualified podiatrists at Gaston Foot and Ankle.
But, there are exercises that have minimal to no foot pain. Mostly yoga, pilates, swimming, bike riding, low to no impact sports. The lighter you tread on your feet, the less amount of foot pain you should have. If you are dedicated to high impact exercises such as running or aerobics, make sure you have a properly fitted shoe that is supportive and complies to the 3 point rule.
Dr. Santiago demonstrates 3 different stretching exercises.
Gaston Foot & Ankle Specialists Treat Athletes
If you are an athlete in the Gastonia area, our North Carolina podiatry clinic is here to keep your feet in tip-top shape. Don't let one injury keep you on the sidelines permanently—get it treated right away and get back to the sport that you love. We see individuals with stress fractures, injured toenails, turf toe, plantar fasciitis, sprained ankles, Achilles tendonitis, and more.
If you are suffering from a sports-related foot or ankle injury, contact Gaston Foot & Ankle Specialists today at 704-861-0425 for an appointment.
