Preventing Foot and Ankle Injuries in the New Year

Depending on when you are reading this post, 2018 is either a couple of days away or has just started (unless, of course, you aren’t reading this close to the posting date). This means people are either putting the final details on their New Year’s resolutions or have started practicing them. Either way, we want to share some advice to help with one of the most popular resolutions – getting more exercise. No matter the year, you can always bet good money people are going to make the resolution to be more active, and that’s a great thing. There are really only a couple of actions one needs to take for optimal health, and regular physical activity is one of them. Now, exercise and physical activity is definitely part of having a healthier body, but they also come with a certain degree of injury risk, especially for feet and ankles. The good news is there are ways to lower that risk, including: Be active. It might seem counterintuitive to move more when moving can potentially lead to injury, but consider this – one demographic particularly at risk for foot and ankle sports injuries are middle-aged “weekend warriors.” Why is this group so at risk? Well, they often do not do much (if any) physical activity during the week. When the weekend comes, and they’re giving everything they have to give on the field or court, their bodies are simply not prepared. Even worse is when they don’t stretch first! To lower your risk of foot and ankle injuries, you need to be active on a regular basis. Always warm up and stretch first. As noted in the previous tip, make sure you take a good 5-10 to warm up with some brisk walking or light jogging. Follow that with dynamic stretches incorporating the muscles you will use in your sport or activity. Not sure what we mean by “dynamic”? Well, in this context, we are talking about stretches where you move around. This is opposed to “static” stretches, which are the ones where you hold a stretch for 30 seconds at a time. (Save the static stretching for after your workout or activity!) Stretch on a regular basis. Speaking of stretching, you can reduce your risk for common soft tissue injuries—like Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis—by stretching your lower limbs every day. Think you don’t have time for that? Think again! You can stretch while you brush your teeth in the morning or watch your favorite shows in the evening. Ease into new activities. Too often, we treat patients who had recently started a new exercise or training program, or had suddenly increased the intensity or duration of an existing one. The problem in these cases is that the participants hadn’t given their bodies time to adjust. Our bodies are remarkably durable. Further, we have an amazing ability to recover from injuries and repair damaged tissue. But this doesn’t mean our bodies are infallible! We all need to give our bodies that time to build up endurance and repair tissues dealing with extra stress. This means you are best served to start at lower levels and gradually build up any new activity (or when you are upping the intensity of something you already do). Make smart footwear choices. This particular tip for preventing foot and ankle injuries is actually twofold – wear appropriate shoes for the activities you perform and make sure they fit correctly! To the first part, you need to wear shoes that are activity-appropriate (running shoes if you run, basketball shoes for basketball, etc.) and well-constructed. They should provide arch support and ample cushioning. If you are a runner, your running footwear needs to work with your particular foot structure and pronation pattern. After you’ve picked out the right kind of footwear, then you need to pick out the right fit. This means shoes that are neither too big nor too small. Your heels should be firmly cradled when the shoes are laced up, yet toes shouldn’t be pinched together in the front. Remember, you can reduce injury risk, but it is virtually impossible to completely eliminate it. In spite of your best efforts, you might still suffer a foot or ankle injury. When you do, keep Wilks Advanced Foot Care in mind for the effective treatment you need! If you want more information on foot and ankle injury prevention—or it’s time to come in for professional care—contact our Roseburg, OR office by calling (541) 673-0742.

Contact Us

Send Us an Email