Preventing and Treating Foot and Ankle Overuse Injuries

Because they take the weight of all your steps and workouts, your feet and ankles are at high risk for overuse injuries. For that reason, we see lots of runners and athletes come into our Westfield, IN podiatry practice in pain after overdoing it at the gym or during outdoor workouts. Want to avoid overuse injuries? That’s our goal, too. So, today, we’re highlighting the top injuries we see in our office. Then, we’ll highlight how to prevent them from developing. Or, if that’s too late, the right treatment to deliver quick pain relief. 

Common Overuse Injuries of the Foot and Ankle 

The top three overuse injuries we see in our office are: 

  1. Shin Splints

With this condition, you’ll notice pain alongside the edges of your shinbone. It’s very common among runners, especially if you’ve increased your training. And it’s a sign that tight tendons and muscles are causing irritation at the shin bone. 

  1. Plantar Fasciitis and Achilles Tendinitis

Plantar fasciitis describes inflammation in the connective tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot, between your heel bone and mid foot. At first, you’ll notice pain when you get out of the bed in the morning. But it may go away as the day goes on. Yet, over time, the pain can be constant if you don’t seek treatment.  Similarly, Achilles tendinitis describes inflammation in your Achilles tendon, which connects your calf muscle to your heel bone. Both conditions can set in when your muscles tighten up, and tug at these spots of connective tissue. 

  1. Stress Fractures

A stress fracture is a real break in your bone. But the crack develops slowly, over time, instead of after a sudden injury. And that crack develops when you put too much pressure on the same spot in your body. 

Preventing Overuse Injuries

Luckily, we have ways to help you prevent these painful injuries. To protect yourself: 

  1. Train safely. Take the time to stretch before working out. Make sure you’re following programs that allow you to gradually increase your activity levels, whether that means how far you run, how fast you run, or how much you lift at the weight rack.

  2. Take a rest day. Training every day means your body won’t have time to recover from the minor damage that it incurs when you exercise. By building rest days into your schedule, your body can heal. In turn, you’ll help steer clear of overuse injuries. And your body will get the chance to repair the damage which leads to more muscle development.

  3. Cross train. Embrace many different forms of exercise. Doing the same activity over and over puts pressure on the same exact spots in your body.

  4. Don’t push through pain. Discomfort during workouts is a sign that something’s wrong. Even if it goes way after a few minutes. Stop working out and come see us if you consistently notice pain when you start your workouts.

Treating Sports Injuries in Westfield, IN

If we catch overuse injuries early on, we can usually treat you with rest, icing and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In some cases, we may also recommend MLS Laser Therapy, physical therapy or even shoe changes. 

Selecting a sport-specific shoe can help with overuse injuries in some case. And adding an orthotic to your shoes can also help support your workouts. That way, your overuse injury won’t return after you heal. 

If you ignore activity-related pain for too long, your healing time could be extended. We may also need to recommend more invasive treatment options. For that reason, we urge you to schedule an appointment the first time you notice pain with exercise. That way, we can quickly resolve the issue and get you back to your favorite workout routines—without the discomfort! 

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