Sports Medicine

What is sports medicine?

Sports medicine is a medical specialty that focuses on the treatment of injuries incurred when taking part in sports or training activities, as well as the general health of people who enjoy sports and would like to optimize their performance.

Playing sports and training for your sport of choice are excellent ways to keep fit and reduce stress. Everyone benefits from doing more physical activity, but if you’re involved in sports or other high-intensity physical pursuits, you’re also likely to experience injuries at some point.

Sports injuries that can affect the feet and ankles include:

• Strains 
• Sprains
• Soft tissues tears
• Fractures
• Dislocations
• Impact injuries

Sprains, strains, and tears occur when your muscle fibers or connective tissues that attach bones to bones (ligaments) and muscles to bones (tendons) stretch too far. Once they go past a certain point, they can’t spring back like they normally would. Tissues can suffer partial tears or rupture completely.

Fractures are broken bones, and dislocations occur when part of a joint separates from the other section. Injuries like these can cause extensive damage to the soft tissues as well as the bones and joints.

What are the symptoms of a sports injury?

Different types of sports injuries can have similar symptoms because they’re usually due to trauma. That means a sudden onset of pain and an inability to walk are the two key symptoms. You might hear a pop or crack as the injury happens, and your leg might give way as you’re running or jumping.

Swelling and tenderness tend to come on soon after a sports injury. Your skin might go red or purplish, and the swelling can spread up your leg.

Because injury symptoms can be very similar, you might not know if you have a broken ankle or a sprained ligament. Therefore, getting a diagnosis at The Foot and Ankle Specialists is essential to ensure you receive the most appropriate treatment.

A different type of sports injury is a stress fracture. This comes on more slowly, as repeated over-exertion causes tiny hairline fractures to appear in the bones of your foot or ankle. These microfractures increase over time until they cause noticeable pain and loss of strength in your foot.

What treatments are there for sports injuries?

The team of podiatrists at The Foot and Ankle Specialists provides a selection of cutting-edge treatments that make use of advanced technology and the most up-to-date scientific knowledge. Your podiatrist designs a treatment plan for your injury that could contain therapies such as:

• Strapping and taping 
• Physical therapy
• Orthotics
• Splints
• Ankle braces
• Walking boots
• Steroid injections

If you need surgery for your sports injury, The Foot and Ankle Specialists team uses minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery techniques wherever possible. They use the latest advances in science and technology to get you back to playing your sport as quickly and safely as possible. 

If you have foot or ankle injuries that need expert attention, call today to schedule a consultation or book an appointment online.