Tips to Prevent Sports Injuries

If your son or daughter wishes to participate in the Roseburg Sports Program at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Umpqua Valley, you are now required to provide insurance information. We think this is a smart policy. Sports can be a tremendous amount of fun for individuals of all ages, but physical activity always comes with a certain degree of injury risk. Knowing how to prevent sports injuries will lower the risk and hopefully keep you and your loved ones safe!

There are many different ways to become injured while playing sports and staying active. We will stick to some more general guidelines that transfer easily from sport to sport. Basic foot and ankle sports injury prevention tips include:

• Warm up and stretch. Many sports injuries can be prevented if you take a little time to prepare your body before intense activity. Do this with a light warmup and several dynamic stretches that mimic some of the movements you will be making.
• Condition your muscles. Cross-training helps strengthen and increase flexibility of lower limb muscles, which will improve your overall health and keep you safe. Even better, mix in low-impact activities to decrease the odds of developing a stress fracture in a foot, ankle, or leg bone.
• Wear the right shoes. Activity-appropriate footwear—especially pairs that fit correctly—will make it less likely you become hurt while playing a sport.
• Replace worn out footwear. Shoes are not intended to last forever, so pick up some new ones once your current pair(s) starts to lose cushioning and arch support.
• Avoid uneven surfaces. Ankle sprains are quite common, but making sure the surface you are running or competing on is level will lower your risk.
• Use braces to prevent recurrent injuries. If you have sustained an ankle sprain, protect your ankle with a brace or athletic wrap to prevent recurrent ankle injuries.
• Listen to your body. The old saying “no pain, no gain” needs to stay in the past. If you are experiencing pain, something is wrong. If something is wrong, stop the activity and then treat the affected area. Even better, have us provide professional care for you!

We hope these injury prevention tips keep you and yours safe, but don’t forget that our Roseburg, OR practice provides effective treatment for foot and ankle conditions if you need it. You can contact the office of G. Jason Wilks, DPM by calling us at (541) 673-0742 or scheduling an appointment with us online today.