Sports Injuries
Martial arts and kickboxing
A variety of injuries can occur as a result of martial arts and kickboxing. These include plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, sesamoiditis, and ankle sprains. Stretching is recommended for a minimum of 15 minutes before performing any kicking or punching.
Aerobics
Proper shoes are crucial to successful, injury-free aerobics. Shoes should provide sufficient cushioning and shock absorption to compensate for pressure on the foot many times greater than found in walking. They must also have good medial-lateral stability. Impact forces from aerobics can reach up to six times the force of gravity transmitted to each of the 26 bones in the foot.
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.
Turf toe
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 include pain, tenderness, and swelling of the toe joint. Often there is a sudden acute onset of pain during the push-off phase of running. Usually, the pain is not enough to keep the athlete from physical activities or finishing a game. This causes further injury to the big toe and dramatically increases the healing time.
Osteochondromas
Osteochondromas are benign bone tumors under the toenail. They form in the bone beneath the toenail. An osteochondroma accounts for about half of all benign bone tumors, occurring primarily in children and young adults. Unless they cause irritation to the surrounding tissue, they are generally not very painful.
Sometimes, they can deform the toenail and cause an ingrown toenail. In some cases, they are removed surgically.
Osteochondritis (stiff ankle)
These are lesions that usually cause pain and stiffness of the ankle joint and affect all age groups. Often, osteochondritis usually follow a twisting type of injury to the ankle. Osteochondritis may cause swelling and ankle pain. When immobilization of the injury doesn’t alleviate the problem, surgery is sometimes prescribed. The procedure usually involves removing the loose fragment of cartilage and bone from the ankle joint and placing small drill holes in the defect. The drill holes stimulate new blood vessels to fill the area and help form scar tissue to fill the defect.
Shin Splints
Shin splints are a pain to either side of the leg bone, caused by muscle or tendon inflammation. It is commonly related to a collapsing arch but may be related to a muscle imbalance between opposing muscle groups in the leg.
Contact Our Foot Healthcare Specialists Today
If you have foot pain caused by a sports injury, we can help. Contact our office today at 248.258.0001 to schedule an appointment. Foot injuries are covered by most insurance plans.