Whether you’re an athlete or someone who just leads an active lifestyle, it’s important to be aware of the common injuries that you can suffer from – and of what you should do when they occur.
If you experience pain and any other symptom of injury in your foot or ankle, it’s important to seek treatment from a podiatrist (foot doctor) like ours here at The Podiatry Group of South Texas. Below, we’ve outlined a few injuries our sports medicine podiatrists commonly see patients for.
Ankle Sprain
An ankle sprain occurs when the joint moves out of its normal position, causing the bands of tissue (ligaments) that connect your foot bones to your lower leg bones to stretch beyond their capacity and get frayed or torn.
An ankle sprain can be a result of a fall that causes unnatural twisting of your ankle or of landing awkwardly on your foot after jumping.
Symptoms of an ankle sprain include pain especially when you put weight on your foot, swelling, tenderness, limited range of motion, and bruising.
Achilles Tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis is usually caused by repetitive or intense strain on the Achilles tendon – the large rope-like tissue that connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. This type of overuse injury is common among people who engage in sports or physical activities that involve a lot of running, jumping, and sudden starts and stops.
Symptoms of Achilles tendonitis include pain and stiffness in your heel, especially when you walk or run; swelling; warmth in the heel, along the tendon; and difficulty bearing weight on your affected foot.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the plantar fascia – the band of tissue that attaches your heel bone to the base of your toes.
Engaging in high-intensity sports or exercise as well as not giving feet enough time to recover can lead to plantar fasciitis. Other causes include wearing shoes that do not provide enough support, having tight calf muscles, and having a high arch.
Common symptoms of plantar fasciitis are heel swelling as well as pain in the bottom of your heel or in the arch of your foot that gets worse in the morning or after sitting for a long time.
Sports Medicine Physician Near Me in South Texas
To receive high-quality treatment for your sports-related foot or ankle injury, schedule an appointment with one of our podiatrists today. Call our podiatry clinic nearest you or use our convenient online request form.
We look forward to serving you at one of our locations: in San Antonio, Boerne, Hondo, Floresville, Kenedy, Uvalde, or Live Oak, Texas!
