Most Common Sports Injuries

For people who play sports, injury to the foot and ankle is a real possibility. Even swimmers, cyclists, and rowers are at risk.

The answer isn’t to quit doing the activities you love. Rather, you should be aware of the possible injuries so if you experience symptoms, you know to get treatment right away. At Go Feet, our expert team of podiatrists (Dr. Stuart W. Honick, Dr. James R. Williamson, and Dr. Ammar Saymeh)  is well-versed in the most common sports injuries and help people in Mays Landing find relief, so they can return to their sport.

Read on to learn about some of the most common sports injuries that affect your feet and ankles.

TOE INJURIES

It’s common to bruise your toe or toenail during exercise, and it can be quite painful. Many runners, for example, get black toenails from running downhill and having the toe hit the front of their shoes’ toebox. Runners can also get black toenails from wearing shoes that are just a little too small.

Athletes with tight calves can experience exaggerated toe and toenail bruising. And, though the injury is rather mild, it can result in complications such as ingrown toenails, abnormal toenail growth, or fungal infection of the toenail.

BLISTERS AND CUTS

When your shoe or sock rubs against your skin causing excessive friction, the skin becomes irritated. It remains intact, but fluid builds up beneath it creating a blister.

Cuts and abrasions can also result from shoe irritation or other equipment. If your abrasion becomes red and painful, it may be infected, and you should come see us right away for antibiotic treatment. We can also drain abnormal or infected blisters. Recurring abrasions and blisters may be a result of poor foot function or the wrong footwear. Consult with us for advice on how to avoid these painful injuries from developing.

TENDON INJURIES

Tendons are bands of connective tissue that can be irritated by overuse or muscle imbalances. Achilles tendonitis felt at the back of the heel and ankle, plantar fasciitis felt at the bottom of the foot, and posterior tibial tendon injuries felt on the inside of the foot are common. If you’re having chronic foot pain that’s especially acute in the morning or after long periods of sitting, you may have tendonitis that would benefit from a visit to our office.

JOINT SPRAINS

You certainly have heard of an ankle sprain, one of the most common sports injuries for children and adults. You can also sprain your big toe, known as turf toe, or the midfoot. These sprains occur when your joint is forced beyond its normal range of motion. Sprains can range from mild-to-severe, needing 2-12 weeks to recover.

BONE INJURIES

The bones in your feet are subject to fracture. You may experience a fracture in which the bone actually breaks in response to trauma and needs to be set to heal. Stress fractures are also common in the bones of the feet. These occur when abnormal forces are generated through the bone causing tiny cracks. Stress fractures commonly show up in the ball of the foot in a metatarsal stress fracture or on the upper inside of the foot as a navicular stress fracture.

Sports injuries can show up due to trauma, such as a tackle or twist of the foot or because of long-term overuse and poor foot mechanics. At Go Feet, we can help with these sports injuries, so you recover and get back on the court or field as soon as possible. If you experience a sports injury or have chronic pain in your feet, call our office, or book an appointment online.