Foot and ankle pain can be distracting for many people, but it is particularly unbearable for patients with active lifestyles. An injury to the toes and feet can mean a minute off your mile, a season on the bench, and the loss of the ability to do the activity you love the most.
Our Washington Podiatrists Treat a Wide Range of Sports-Related Foot Injuries
Issaquah Foot & Ankle Specialists provides comprehensive treatment for foot and ankle injuries due to running, football, basketball, baseball, and other demanding sports. Our methods combine non-surgical pain relief with high-tech intervention, relieving the swelling and accelerating the healing process. With our injury rehabilitation program, patients can regain ankle stability and function, as well as take measures to prevent further injury.
We can help resolve many athletic foot and ankle problems, including:
Fractures. Bones in the feet and ankle can break due to sudden trauma, but also as a result of repetitive stress due to overuse. Athletes who train every day can suffer hairline fractures in their metatarsals, the bones supporting the middle and ball of the foot. These injuries can prevent an athlete from standing up on his toes and can make both running and walking extremely painful.
Ankle injuries. Running, martial arts training, kickboxing, and team sports are all hard on the ankles, and place athletes at significant risk of injury. Athletes may stretch or tear the ligaments in the ankle from repeated use (commonly called a sprain), or injure the muscles and tendons (known as a strain). Since it is vital that athletes regain control and function in their ankles, our podiatrists perform immediate physical therapy to protect the ankle joint while in motion, strengthen the muscles, and control pain and inflammation.
Turf toe. Athletes are extremely susceptible to injuries on artificial surfaces, particularly in their big toes. One of the most frequent injuries is hyperextension of the big toe joint (turf toe) as a player crouches down or pushes off into a run. Football and soccer players are most commonly affected by turf toe, although players on any unforgiving surface (such as a track or hard flooring) can suffer as well. Turf toe is an extremely painful condition that results in swelling, tenderness, and impaired movement.
Sesamoiditis. Sesamoids are bones in the human body that are not connected to another bone, but are connected to tendons. These bones provide protection, help with load-bearing, and stabilize the movements of the body. Athletes who use the tendons in their feet regularly for balance (such as dancers and baseball catchers) can suffer inflammation in the tendons surrounding the bones, known as sesamoiditis. This condition causes pain in the affected bones on the underside of the forefoot or near the big toe, especially when flexing the feet.
Tendon injury. An injury to the tendons in the feet and ankles can be even more painful than breaking a bone. In tendinitis, the tendons become inflamed, causing persistent pain that does not go away without rest. If the tendon does not have a chance to heal, it can tear (or rupture), resulting in an inability to walk normally that places stress on other joints in the body. A severe Achilles tendon rupture can cause difficulty running or rising up on the toes, and may require surgery to fix.
We Give You Every Option to Avoid Foot Surgery
We know how important it is for you to get back in the game. That is why licensed Washington podiatrists Dr. Brandon Nelson and Dr. Timothy Young always begin with non-surgical treatment of athletic injuries, including extracorporeal shockwave treatment to reduce inflammation and cortisone injections to control pain and swelling. If non-invasive treatments are not effective, only then will we recommend surgery—and we will work with you as you heal from your procedure to regain your strength and stability. Call our toll-free number or use our online contact form to make an appointment today!
