Sports Injuries

You probably don’t need to be told how a sports injury can really interrupt a good game. There have been plenty of time outs called on the field, court, or track to help an athlete who has gone down and isn’t getting back up easily.

The feet and ankles are common sites of injury. It’s no big surprise when you consider just how much force they have to endure as we move. Charging down a field, jumping, making fast cuts—and that’s even without someone wanting to tackle us or check us into the boards!

However, sports injuries don’t always happen during big plays or moments. They can also develop during the everyday grind of training and trying to achieve your personal best. Just as many injuries happen in a dance studio or on the running trails as they do in a gym!

Understanding your body is key to both avoiding sports injuries and effectively treating them when they happen. We have the experience and treatments to help you recover and get back to what you love.

Types of Sports Injuries

Sports injuries of the foot and ankle can be divided into two general camps:

  • Injuries that happen from a sudden force or impact. These can include sprains, fractures, and tendon ruptures. Usually, something has caused part of the body to move beyond what it was capable of normally moving.
  • Injuries that happen as a result of overuse. The affected area has not necessarily been overextended, but it has been pushed harder than it has been conditioned to endure or has not been given proper time to recover from repetitive stress.

The latter type of injury—overuse injury—is much more preventable than the first type. They still have a way of sneaking up on you, however. An aching in the foot or heel can keep flaring up during or after a run, for example. Any such pains that don’t improve in a couple days are signs that something is wrong and needs to be addressed.

A few common types of overuse injuries include:

  • Plantar fasciitis – The inflammation of the thick band of tissue that supports the arch of each foot. This can develop from the repetitive impacts of running and cause sharp pains in the heel after long periods of inactivity.
  • Stress fractures – Hairline cracks that form along the surface of a bone. This type of fracture often forms when the bones of the feet are placed under repetitive stress and not allowed enough time to recover and re-strengthen.
  • Achilles tendinitis – The inflammation of the tendon that connects the heel bone to the calf muscle. The tendon can become strained via overuse, or wear down as we age.
  • Neuroma – The swelling and pinching of nerve tissue in the front of the foot. Can cause pain, tingling, and numbness, and often feels like a marble or some other object is stuck in your shoe.

 

Quick Treatment Means Faster Recovery

The best first step for any sports injury is to stop whatever you were doing that caused it. Continuing on with an injury at this point is only going to make you more miserable and risk further problems.

Second, call us. We can provide you the care and advice you need to get you back into action without risking yourself further injury.

Dr. McCourt is a rock climber and ski patroller who has also performed in ultramarathons. He understands the frustration of sports injuries when someone has personal or team goals to achieve, and will work with active patients to help them regain strength and mobility in the best ways while they recover. This might involve using custom orthotics to take excess pressure off certain areas, or adjustments in training to temporarily reduce impact.

Proper recovery from sports injuries will mean much more benefit for an athlete in the long run. Call Eugene Foot and Ankle  at (541) 683-3351 to schedule an appointment at our Eugene office.

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