Sports Foot Injury Treatment Options

Foot injuries happen. You’re training hard one day and tweaking something the next. It can happen to any athlete whether you’re a weekend warrior or training for the Olympics. The biggest difference between overcoming your injury quickly or being sidelined for weeks or months lies in early detection and proper management. The good news is that most sports injuries to the foot are very treatable with early intervention and the right rehabilitation program.

What is your Injury?

Your sports injury is likely a sprain, strain, stress fracture or tendon problem. Sprains are caused by rolling your ankle or twisting your foot. Strains are overuse injuries that occur when your muscles become fatigued and can no longer absorb the force of your workouts. Stress fractures are tiny cracks in your bones caused by repetitive force, often from overtraining. Achilles tendinopathy or plantar fasciitis are tendon problems that can occur when you’ve been increasing your mileage too quickly.

Pain, swelling, bruising and inability to bear weight are common symptoms of acute injuries. Chronic injuries may start as vague aches that get worse with time or activity. The earlier you catch the injury, the sooner you can address it before further damage occurs.

Some sports injuries are caused by one instantaneous incident like rolling your ankle. However, others are caused by slowly “building up” the injury over time. Wearing down shoes, having bad biomechanics and making training errors (like suddenly upping your mileage too quickly) can lead to overuse injuries.

When you first injure yourself...

Always assess the damage when you first injure yourself. Depending on how serious the injury is, you may need to stop activity completely. If you are able to bear weight, continue moving around. If you experience serious pain, swelling, deformity or cannot put weight on your foot, consider it a serious injury.

Remember R.I.C.E. – rest, ice, compression, elevation. Ice will help reduce swelling and inflammation. Elevation also helps with swelling. By keeping your foot supported and protected from bearing your body weight, you will allow the injury to rest and heal.

Don’t fall into the mindset of many athletes and just “play through it.” Ligaments can only tolerate so much abuse before they are too stretched out to function properly. Playing through pain can lead to longer recovery times and can cause you to develop chronic injuries.

Get it checked out...

It’s always good to get your injury checked out by a medical professional to ensure you’re receiving the proper treatment. What you think is a mild ankle sprain may actually be a stress fracture or tendon injury. Your medical professional will most likely perform a physical exam as well as take X-rays or get an MRI to determine your injury.

If you’re in pain for more than a few days or if your injury doesn’t feel right, get it checked out. You don’t want to be pumping water pills if you’re actually dealing with a fracture.

Seek Medical Treatment

There are various medical treatment options that you can seek when injured. The severity of your injury will determine what type of treatment you may need. Mild injuries can be treated with at-home care and rest. However, more serious injuries may require a more hands-on approach.

Doctors will often prescribe a walking boot or brace to help immobilize your foot in case of fractures and serious sprains. You may also be prescribed physical therapy to help speed up your recovery time and restore normal range of motion. If your injury is chronic or still persists, your doctor may opt to do treatments such as corticosteroid injections or even shockwave therapy.

In some serious cases, you may need surgery to correct your injury. Surgery is usually used for complete ligament tears, unstable fractures and injuries that do not respond to normal treatments. Recovery time from surgery is longer than other treatment techniques but can help you get back to 100%.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is the most important step in the recovery process. It will help you regain normal function, increase strength and improve your balance. At first you will be performing basic range of motion exercises, but you will slowly progress to strength and stability exercises.

Stay consistent with your physical therapy program. Even if you’re not seeing results or your recovery is going slow, it’s important to stick with your PT program. You may also benefit from manual therapy like soft tissue work or joint mobilizations.

Take notes of your progress…

You should always be aware of your progress during recovery. Whether you write it down or mentally keep track of your pain, range of motion, and what you’re able to do. This can help you and your medical professionals know if you’re ready for certain activities.

Alternative Medicine

There are always other options if you’re looking for alternative medicine. Some people try acupuncture to help with pain relief and increase blood flow to the injured area. Although there’s no scientific proof that it helps, some people swear by it.

You can also adjust your diet while your injured. Eat plenty of anti-inflammatory foods like fruits and vegetables. Take a good quality fish oil or collagen supplement to help your body repair itself.

Another great way to recover is by performing active recovery. You want to stay active while you’re injured, but you don’t want to be pushing yourself too hard. Perform low-impact activities like biking or swimming.

Preventing Future Injuries

Taking care of your injury is only half the battle. You have to prepare your body for return to sport as well. This is another important step in preventing yourself from getting the same injury twice.

Make sure you’re wearing shoes that provide good support and that aren’t worn down. If you’re constantly getting injured, you may want to get fitted for orthotics.

A proper warm-up can also help prevent injuries. Warming up properly can help you perform better and can prevent unnecessary stress to injured areas.

Finally, listen to your body. If something hurts, don’t ignore it and continue to push through the pain. You’ll only make the injury worse. Athletes that listen to their body will recover faster and prevent future injuries.

Conclusion

Sports foot injuries are extremely common but very manageable. Taking care of your injury as soon as you can and receiving the proper treatment will get you back on your feet in no time. Remember to listen to your body and take the proper steps to prevent further injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What should I do immediately after a sports injury to my foot?

A: Immediately following your injury, it’s best to stop whatever you are doing. Continuing to do activity can cause you to tear the injured area more. Try to control the swelling with ice as soon as possible.

Q: How do I know if I need physical therapy for my foot injury?

A: If you’re experiencing pain for more than a couple days or if your range of motion is limited, you should seek physical therapy. Physical therapy can also be used to treat moderate to severe injuries.

Q: Is it possible to recover from a sports injury without surgery?

A: Yes! Most sports injuries can be treated without surgery. However, some injuries require surgical intervention to repair bones or complete ligament tears.