Icing Swollen Feet
Most Common Leg and Foot Injuries and How to Prevent Them
Injuries incurred during sports activities are issues that coaches and athletes are accustomed to. These injuries can not only be painful for the athlete, but in many cases can disable the entire team. An ousted team member can cause setbacks in game performance and can have enduring results on the season as well. Like a team is affected by a missing member, a disabled body part affects the entire body. Injuries such as sprained ankles, hyper-extended knees, and shin splints can be caused by bad form, lack of flexibility, and overuse of the areas below the knees. Cited by medical professionals at the Cleveland Clinic, the majority of athletes have to deal with shin splints at some time. Here’s how to help them heal and try to avoid this debilitating issue, as well as preventing other frequent sports injuries.
How Sports Can Cause Shin Splints to Occur
Shin splints cause symptoms such as frontal pain in the shin area. The pain can be sharp and extreme, especially when adding pressure on the affected leg. Increased swollen muscle tissue can make the leg feel taut as well as produce visible inflammation and tenderness around the muscles. Regardless of what type of sport, from cross country to basketball any athlete can be affected by these conditions. It is essential that shin splints treatment be sought immediately so that proper physical therapy and anti-inflammatory drugs can be started. The most common shin pain relief guidelines followed by sports therapists includes rest, elevation, and icing of the affected area for one to two days. Continuing physical therapy and preventive exercises include lower leg weight bearing moves and stretching of the Achilles tendon and the muscles in the front of the shin.
How Sports Can Cause Knee and Ankle Twist Injuries
Twisting injuries are also commonly seen in impact-type sports. This is caused by either an extreme impact, which cannot be averted, or from weak muscles of the knee, lower leg, and ankle. Weakened muscles can be remedied with lifting weights or movements recommended by a sports therapist that target the muscular areas that support the knees and ankles. Damaged muscles lead to tendons and ligaments that cannot hold the bones and muscles together tightly so that simple movements or athletic activities can cause twisting injuries. Another helpful measure for preventing these types of injuries are to be sure the feet have proper foot arch support. This can be accomplished specially-designed orthotics made for sports activities. The doctors at the Cleveland Clinic also advise taping the arch for added arch support during sports activities.
Tearing Injuries: Why They Occur in the Lower Leg
Rupturing of the connective tissues are also typical kinds of sports injuries. This is most often found in the connecting structures of the knees and back of the heels. An Achilles injury is generally caused by a lack of flexibility in the heel tendon due to poor stretching technique. This is a vital part in the warm-up process that should never be skipped. Gentle stretches without pulsing are recommended for all sports participants. Experts in kinesiology advise a half-minute stretch followed by a short rest and then a repeat stretch. ACL (Anterior cruciate ligaments) are surrounding the knee area and help hold the knee structure together. Injuries to this region can be avoided by strengthening the knee , calf and quadriceps through curls and extensions of the leg. The right orthotic inserts can help avert both of these styles of injuries by giving proper arch support, ideal cushion, and proper foot form.







