How Older Athletes Can Prevent Foot Injuries

There is no perfect playbook for keeping your feet injury-free during athletics, and the fact of the matter is some foot injuries simply can’t be prevented. That said, if you keep these tips in mind, you can reduce your risk of some of the more preventable types of foot injuries during athletics.

1. Stretch – Stretching your body helps to prepare it for the activity to come, and you shouldn’t overlook your feet when doing your stretching routine. Ankle rotations and some flexion/extension exercises can help you ankle joints prepare for the stress that will follow during sporting activities. Putting a lot of stress on your feet without warning can lead to soft tissue injuries, so make sure that you include your feet during your stretching routine.

2. Gradual Increases – If you’re picking up a new athletic hobby like walking, cycling or hiking, you’ll want to pace yourself at the outset. Taking on too much activity too quickly is a recipe for overstress injuries. This is similar to how we tell athletes that they need to start preparing for the upcoming sports season well before tryouts or two-a-days. You want to slowly build up your duration and intensity so as not to overload your feet while they’re acclimating to a new activity.

3. Swim – If you’re looking for a crosstraining activity that targets your feet, ankles, calves and more, swim some laps in your free time. Water offers natural resistance to movement, which is great for muscle development. It’s also a no-impact exercise, which can be extremely beneficial if you’re working your way back from an injury, as you won’t have to deal with the stress of an impact like you may during a running or box-jump workout. We recommend lap swimming or a water workout to all athletes who are looking for some non-sport specific exercises that will help to improve their performance on the field.

4. Wear The Right Equipment – You can also work to prevent injuries by ensuring your feet are in the right shoe for the activity. That old pair of running shoes or those cleats that you have from high school simply may not cut it anymore. If your shoes are lacking tread or ligament support, it may only be a matter of time before an injury strikes. Protect your feet by ensuring the shoes you’re wearing are designed to provide support for that specific activity.

5. Stop Small Injuries – Finally, one of the biggest things you need to learn to do as you get older is to listen to your body and begin to differentiate between normal soreness and unnatural pain. As we age, soreness becomes a little more common after activity, but if you notice acute pain or discomfort that doesn’t fade, this could be the result of an injury. When you suffer an injury, don’t try to keep playing through the pain. Pushing your body when it is already weakened can greatly exacerbate an injury. Proactively treat small injuries and recognize that it’s much better to miss a game or two than to try to push through the pain, make things worse and be done for the rest of the year.

The post How To Care For Your Aging Athletic Feet appeared first on Lance Silverman, MD - Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon.

A study conducted at a private school in California determined that student athletes who slept less than eight hours a night were more likely to suffer an injury during athletic participation and training.

According to the report, roughly 50% of sports-related injuries come from overuse, but the other 50% of injuries are believed to be preventable, said Dr. Matthew Milewski, of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.  Injury education is one of the more effective techniques in preventing sports injuries, but Dr. Milewski believes these programs need to consider addressing the important role sleep has on a body.

“We’d like injury prevention programs to focus on sleep education.”

Although there are several factors that increase the likelihood of an injury, like increased participation without adequate time off or lack of strength training, insufficient sleep may not allow a body to heal as quickly as it normally would.  Insufficient sleep is defined as less than eight hours of sleep a night, and the study revealed that nearly 80% of high school students were not getting an adequate amount of sleep.

After adjusting for variables, the study found that sleep deprivation was the leading independent predictor of an injury, while older teens were also more susceptible to injury.

Sleep studies continue to show the benefits a healthy amount of sleep has on adolescents.  Teens have been shown to get better grades and report happier feelings when they get an adequate amount of sleep, and now injury prevention can be added to the list.

Dr. Silverman Comments

The most interesting finding is that sleep deprivation is the leading predictive factor in preventable sports-related injuries.  It really highlights the importance of a well-rested student-athlete.

They study also mentions that roughly 50% of injuries are due to overuse, but what if some of these injuries are also attributable to lack of sleep? Sleep is a restorative process that gives the body time to heal injured tissue from the day before, so less rest may not allow certain muscles to properly heal on a day-to-day basis.

While the study focuses on student-athletes, I’m sure other laborious professions could attribute similar injuries to a lack of sleep.  Oftentimes I’ve felt that work is an athletic event, so an adequate amount of sleep plays a crucial role in being able to perform daily tasks at a high level.

Related source:  MedPageToday.com

The post Lack of Sleep May Lead to More Sports-Related Injuries appeared first on Lance Silverman, MD - Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon.