Athletic Pain

Our job is to keep you in your sport and active over your entire lifetime. The more active you are, the healthier it is for your whole body.

However, sometimes our sports may cause some pain in our feet and elsewhere. The most important thing you can do, is listen to your body. Do give it some rest when it requires it. You need your body for a lifetime and no sport is enjoyable when your feet hurt!

Being an athlete of any kind usually puts more strain on your feet, be it great stress from time to time or small amounts on a more constant basis. You should already know the times that are the most stressful for your feet during your particular activity. For example, runners running up or down a hill, can put more stress on the toes.

Appropriate footwear is of course key when participating in any physically demanding sport. While most athletes recognize the importance of their sports footwear, we often see that same athlete in the clinic wearing non-sports shoes past their lifespan.

Check to make sure the shoe still has support in the counters (the part around the ankle), support in the sole (has it worn out in areas, cracks?), is the inside coming apart, is the fit still comfortable, are they more than 6 months old? Give the footwear a good inspection and if you are coming to the foot clinic, bring the shoes that you have been wearing, they will usually tell us quite a story.

Another thing we will check for is soft tissue lesions such as blisters, callus, corns, fissures, fungal infections and plantar's warts. All of these conditions are easily treated but can be cause for considerable discomfort in any sport. Blisters and callus may tell us that the footwear does not have the right fit or the style may be wrong for the width of the foot. If you notice any of these things, have them treated right away. Dismissing these problems as "minor" or "trivial" will invariably soon interfere with your enjoyment of regular daily activities.

Activities that do not require footwear, such as martial arts, gymnastics and swimming, may call for some special taping or bracing during activity for a time until the foot condition resolves. Some patients are able to do their activity only with a special footwear designed for them - don't give up on your sport, there may be something that can help you.

One of the most common conditions we see in sports is rearfoot inflammation: Plantar Fasciitis and Achilles Tendonitis. Like all soft tissue injuries, there are several ways to treat them. Initially while at home, remember RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation — listen to your body. We use orthotic therapy, laser therapy, padding, strapping and taping and footwear modifications where needed to get you back on your feet as soon as possible.

Athletes come in every size and age, whether you are a marathon runner or just walk for exercise, we want to keep you on your feet. Don't put off treatment any longer.