Vacation Time has Arrived - and So Have Sports Injuries to the Feet and Ankles

Ouch! That blog title may read like a buzzkill to those looking forward to summer fun in the sun. We do not mean it to be. Go ahead and enjoy, pick-up volleyball games on the beach, throw a frisbee in the backyard, and run on the beautiful trails here in Monmouth County. We hope you’ll do it all with proper foot safety in mind!

Playing sports involves running, jumping, landing, cutting, reversing direction, and sudden stopping. These movements put tremendous stress on every structure in your feet and ankles.

Here’s how to prevent all that stress from causing an injury:

Wear the right shoes.

This is the first step in keeping your feet safe from harm while engaging in sports. Athletic shoes are designed for optimum support and protection for a particular sport. Therefore, we always want to see our patients wear court shoes for pickleball, cleats for soccer, and running shoes for running and walking. Flip flops for hiking? We highly discourage that sort of bad “shoe hygiene,” as it puts you at risk for deep wounds, sprained ankles, and foot fractures.

 Exercise in moderation.

Injuries are more likely to happen if you haven’t been moving around much all year and suddenly hit the park to play an entire basketball game. Likewise, running a summertime 5K without working up to it can lead to injuries such as plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, and tendonitis. Whatever sport you choose, do a little at a time. Start slowly and increase your time and distance gradually. Take time to rest!

 Never fight pain to stay in the game.

If you sustain a foot or ankle injury, stop what you’re doing and see one of our board-certified podiatrists as soon as possible. Proper treatment is essential for proper healing and preventing future injuries in the same area.

Remember to apply all of this advice equally to your kids, too. Protect their feet from harm by investing in the right shoes for their activities, limiting their practice time to protect them from overuse injuries, and bringing them to our Howell or Jackson podiatry offices for check-ups and treatment of any foot or ankle injuries.

You may contact us online or call (732) 905-1110 to make an appointment with Dr. Samantha Boyd, Dr. Hal Ornstein, Dr. Dan Phan, or Dr. Joseph Saka. Contact us about an acute foot or ankle injury any time of day or night – we’re on call 24 hours a day.