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Sports Injuries

Physical activity is essential for your overall health. Unfortunately, sports and exercise always come with the risk of injury. The upsides to being active outweigh that risk, especially when you can turn to Canyon Oaks Foot & Ankle for sports injury treatment in the Central Valley.

What causes sports injuries?

Sports injuries in the foot and ankle can occur when the soft tissue of the body is unable to stabilize bony segments, like joints, during exercise. Poor technique, fatigue, muscle imbalances and overuse all contribute to the more common types of sports injuries. Additional factors include the exercise shoes you are wearing and the surfaces you are training on.

What are the most common forms of sports injuries?

Stress Fractures

Stress fractures are tiny cracks in bone tissue that develop over the course of time. This common overuse injury is often seen in runners, especially those who suddenly increase distances in their training.

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Plantar Fasciitis

The most common cause of heel pain, this occurs when the band of tissues that spans your arch becomes injured and inflamed, pulling on your heel bone. The more it pulls, the more likely heel spurs will form and add to the problem.

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Ankle Sprains

Whether they happen as the result of athletic competition or not, ankle sprains are a highly common injury. The ligaments that surround and support the ankle are only intended to move within a certain range.

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Turf Toe

Sports fans know that turf toe is bad news, but may not understand what is actually entailed. In this sports injury, the big toe bends backward (towards the lower leg) to the point that the supporting ligaments tear.

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Neuroma

Experiencing pain in the ball of your foot? Tingling and numbness? These are symptoms often associated with a neuroma, a condition involving a pinched nerve in the foot.

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Heel Spurs

Heel spurs are typified by calcium deposits in the heel that can cause bony protrusions on the underside of the heel. In some cases, a heel spur can extend by nearly half an inch. Although the heel spur itself is often painless, they can cause severe heel discomfort.

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Treatment and Prevention

Most sports injury treatment involves conservative, nonsurgical methods. In many cases, your body simply needs time to recover and undergo its natural healing processes. Ice, compression, and elevation are all tools to alleviate pain and swelling. We will advise you on proper procedures to start a successful healing process.

When home care isn’t enough, our office is here to help you. Depending on the nature of your injury, we may use custom orthotics, casts, braces, or physical therapy to restore your health. In rare cases, surgery may be necessary, but we will make sure you understand your options and feel comfortable making an informed decision.

The good news about sports injuries is that many are preventable, and preventative techniques are not particularly difficult:

  • Check with your foot specialist to see what levels of physical activity are right for you before you begin exercising or participating in sports
  • Make sure that you have the appropriate footwear for the activity you are involved in
  • Always stretch and warm up prior to physical activity
  • Do not push yourself too soon – progress takes time and pushing yourself too far, too fast, can increase the likelihood of injury
  • If something starts to feel funny, ease up immediately

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