Hello everyone. Today’s article is a guest post from Rebecca Parker is a podiatrist and chiropodist in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. Here Rebecca writes about some of the possible causes for foot and heel pain which may result from sports injuries..
—–
Sports podiatrists specialise in treating injuries that are sports related that may affect the foot, ankle, knee, lower and upper leg.
How Do Sports Podiatrists Detect What Is Causing Or Caused The Injury?
Sports podiatrists carry out a biomechanical assessment on an athlete to determine whether the injury is related to a biomechanical reason.
A biomechanical assessment consists of an analysis of how an athlete walks and runs. Often with the use of a treadmill. The podiatrist is observing how the foot strikes the ground and then observes the chain motion that occurs in the joints in the leg from the surface of the ground upwards.
How Do Sports Podiatrist Treat Injuries?
There are many sports injuries that sports podiatrists diagnose and treat successfully with appropriate exercises, orthotics and correct footwear advice. Below are just a few injuries that can be commonly found in the foot in runners.
Hallux Limitus:- This is a reduced range of movement in the big toe joint due to arthritic changes. This can prove to be very painful.
Stress Fracture:- This is a common injury that occurs in the forefoot. This fracture is due to high impact stresses, wearing running shoes that lack shock absorbency and some medical conditions that affect the bones like osteoporosis.
Mortons Neuroma:- This is caused by a nerve that is impinged in the forefoot. This is due to too much range of movement (hypermobility) of the foot due to over pronation.
Sesamoiditis:- This is a condition that affects the sesamoids which are two small pea sized bones under the main joint in the big toe. The athlete often feels pain under the main joint of the big toe. Sesamoiditis is caused by high impact stresses and lack of shock absorbancy.
Plantar Fasciitis:- This is a very painful condition that affects the plantar fascia ligament. The condition is also referred to as a heel spur. This condition can cause immense pain around the bottom of the heel. The pain is usually worse on weightbearing in the morning. There are various different causes of plantar fasiitis some of these may be due high impact sports like running, poor worn running shoes that lack shock absorbancy, a previous trauma to the heel area or poor biomechanics.
Ankle Sprains:- This is caused by worn footwear, poor biomechanics or uneven surfaces when walking or running.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome:- This condition is similar to carpel tunnel syndrome in the wrist. It is caused due to pressure on a nerve in the heel area. It is often due again to poor biomechanics.
If in doubt it is always best advice to make an appointment with your GP in the first instance to rule out any underlying health problem or reason for the foot pain.
For more information, you can contact Rebecca at her mobile Bromsgrove chiropodists service, or for more information on general foot care, you can read the healthcare blog which Rebecca contributes to.