Advanced Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation: Helping Young Athletes Get Back on Their Feet

By Daniel Casciato

Young athletes often suffer from various types of foot injuries. These include sprains, fractures, tendonitis, and stress fractures. Some of these injuries can be prevented through proper training and conditioning.

Athletes who participate in sports such as soccer, basketball, football, volleyball, tennis, track, and field should pay attention to their feet. The feet are the foundation of every athletic movement. They provide support during running, jumping, and other movements. If they aren’t properly conditioned, they can cause injury.

“Heel pain is one injury we tend to see most often,” says Dr. Sham Persaud, a Foot and Ankle Surgeon at Advanced Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation. “That’s because young athletes are still going through puberty and haven’t finished growing. There's a growth plate along the back part of the heel. While the rest of the body continues to grow, the tendons don't grow as quickly as the muscles do. As a result, young athletes get growing pains of that heel growth plate.”

The second most common injury he tends to see are overuse injuries such as stress fractures of the foot. Stress fractures occur when a bone is stressed beyond its normal capacity. It usually occurs at the end of long bones (metatarsals) or on the side of the heel bone.

The best way to prevent this a foot injury is by strengthening the muscles that support your feet. This includes the calf muscle, Achilles tendon, and plantar fascia. You also need to strengthen your core muscles. A strong core helps stabilize your body while you perform any sport.

Another important thing to consider is footwear. Shoes with good arch supports help reduce strain on the foot. Your shoes should fit correctly. They shouldn’t pinch the toes or create pressure points.

If you are injured during practice or a game, Dr. Persaud recommends adding ice to the injury.

“I always recommend ice overheat,” he explains. “Heat will actually cause more inflammation and more swelling to the area which can lead to more discomfort where ice will decrease the swelling and make the patients more comfortable.”

No matter the severity of the injury, never hesitate to have a physician examine that injury, notes Dr. Persaud.

“We all love winning and we all love being in the moment, but at the same time, there's always going be other moments after that. So if your child has an injury, don't be afraid to get it checked out sooner rather than later because the majority of time, it's something that can be simple and fixed. However, injuries that linger are going to affect the patient throughout the season, as well as lead to potential bigger injuries that can prevent them from playing a sport for the whole season.”

At Advanced Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, they tend to treat foot injuries by getting radiographs of the foot and ankle, depending on where the injury is and how it occurred.

“Once we look at the radiographs, we sit and talk with the patient to hear exactly what happened, how it happened, where it happened, because a lot of that information gives us clues as to what exactly the injury is and what steps to take going forward,” Dr. Persaud says. “We then conduct a physical exam where we test the bones, muscles, and ligaments. After we have all that information, we present a diagnosis and treatment plan. Generally, I like to be a team with my patients and offer multiple options if possible. Together, we will discuss the pros and cons of each option so they can make an educated decision on the best treatment course that will allow them to get back to what they enjoy doing as quickly as possible.”

While there are several places in the region to get foot injuries taken care of, Advanced Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation offers several advantages. “Like the young athletes that we treat, the majority of the practitioners here were athletes at one point or another,” says Dr. Dr. Persaud. “We are compassionate and understand what it's like to go through injuries. Whether you’re a youth athlete or a weekend warrior, we understand that patients enjoy what they like to enjoy, and we try to get you back to it as soon as possible in a safe and effective manner. Finally, we all use the teamwork method where we all work as a team to get the best outcome.”

For more information, visit advancedorthopaedics.net.