Anyone who is involved in sports knows that there is always the risk of injury. Of course, it isn’t possible to prevent all injuries, but there are a variety of steps you can take to minimize the likelihood of sustaining an injury such as plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, shin splints, and ankle sprains.

Ways to avoid injuries while playing sports

• Always warm up—Many injuries are caused by not properly warming up and stretching your muscles, tendons, and ligaments before vigorous exercise commences.
• Proper footwear—Choose footwear for the specific sport in which you will be participating. Having properly fitted shoes with correct arch and heel supports for your foot type is essential for adequate shock absorption and weight distribution.
• Exercise regularly—You are much less likely to injure yourself if you exercise consistently and increase your workout intensity over time rather than doing an intense workout only sporadically.
• Orthotic inserts—Conditions such as flat feet, overpronation, high arches, and bunions can be treated with specially designed inserts.
• Cooling down—Proper cool down is just as important as warming up. Stopping your exercise gradually is essential to aiding your tired muscles and tendons in recovery.
• Don’t play through pain—If you feel excessive pain or discomfort during exercise, your body is trying to tell you that something is wrong and that you should stop exercising and see what the problem is.

If you suspect that you may have a sports related injury, seeing a foot care specialist is essential in diagnosing and treating problems before they worsen. At Your Next Step, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies, along with years of experience, to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including sports injuries, joint pain, toe deformities, nail fungus, chronic tendon pain, and skin problems. Dr. Eric Ricefield, Dr. Mark Yagodich and Dr. Aliza V. Eisen provide high quality foot and ankle care to patients in the greater Philadelphia area at our offices conveniently located in Ardmore, Paoli, and Downingtown. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.