The importance of sports injuries as it relates to the foot and ankle cannot be ignored. Injuries stem largely from sprains, strains, chronic tendonitis, acute trauma involving stress fractures, avulsion fractures; dislocations, open and closed fractures, and even growing pains. Sports related injuries can also be caused by excessive pronation, rigid supination, untreated limb length discrepancy, and poor stretching and strengthening exercises as they relate to certain sports activities. Such ailments, can lead to unnecessary foot injuries. Simple education about the sport and proper stretching techniques in addition to shoe gears can make the difference between a successful athlete and injured athlete.
In today’s world of sports, young athletes face both internal and external pressure that can often lead to psychological and physical injuries. Athletes not only have to deal with being bigger and faster athletes than previous generations, but they experience extreme pressure from their peers, their coaches, and even their parents. Combine these pressures with a competitive academic environment and you can see how easily they can lead to injuries on the field of play. This is why safety can not be overlooked and why prevention is the number one tool in an athlete’s arsenal to help avoid injuries. That is why they say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
