So your little MVP starts their first season of tackle football. You're excited for all the games and practices to watch them dominate on the field. But as the season goes on, you start to notice that they're not playing like they used to. In fact, they're limping off the field after every play. What's going on? Chances are, they've got a foot injury. Don't worry, we're here to help give you some tips on how to deal with them.
Here are some of the most common football injuries and symptoms:
Ankle Sprains
Ankle and foot injuries are very common in football. In fact, they account for a significant portion of all football-related injuries. The most common type of ankle injury is a sprain, which occurs when the ligaments that support the ankle are twisted or stretched beyond their limits. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and difficulty walking. You should apply ice and compression to the area. Don’t wait to seek treatment. Not treating a sprained ankle properly will delay your return to running. In fact, 70-80% of athletes who sprain their ankle sprain it again, and 40% will develop chronic instability or recurring sprains. Yikes.
Peroneal Tendonitis
An ankle sprain can often be confused with another common sports injury: peroneal tendonitis. There are two peroneal tendons that stabilize your foot and protect it from sprains. When one or both become inflamed, this is called peroneal tendonitis. Symptoms of peroneal tendonitis can include pain around the ankle, swelling, stiffness and difficulty walking. Not only is peroneal tendonitis often mistaken for an ankle sprain, but the peroneal tendon is also slow to heal, especially without the proper treatment.
Stress Fracture
Athletes who start to feel a gradually worsening pain in the top of their foot might have a navicular stress fracture. It's most common in sports that require sudden direction changes, such as football. The navicular bone is situated on the top of the foot right where it meets the ankle. Although it's only the size of a nickel, it can shut your season down quickly. It will get worse if it's not treated.
Treatment
So now that you know what to look for, how do you deal with the injury without derailing your child’s season? Of course you want to implement RICE therapy (rest, ice, compression and elevation), but there are a few other options for effective treatment.
Ankle Braces
Injuries such as ankle sprains or tendonitis often occur because on instability in the ankle joint. Essentially, this means that the ankle is too wobbly and flexible, which will increase the likelihood of injury. So, we can put your child in a supportive ankle brace that is sleek enough to be worn in cleats during practice or gameday.
Immobilization
Unfortunately, for fractures and severe sprains or tendonitis, we would need to place your all-star in an immobilizing walking boot. This means no football. We know, this is the last thing that you and your child want to hear, but to prevent further injury, your child needs to take a short hiatus while healing. Don’t worry, we have a trick up our sleeve that will speed up the healing process.
Laser Therapy
We use laser therapy to cut patient’s recovery time in half. Yes, you heard that right!
Our FDA-Cleared Class IV MLS Laser uses concentrated light energy to stimulate the body’s own healing process to minimize pain, inflammation and promote healing. This is a cold laser designed to treat conditions without excessive thermal effect (a.k.a heat), so treatment is NOT painful. The MLS laser uses specific wavelengths and a patented delivery system to speed up the process of relieving inflammation, pain and repairing damaged tissue.
Most patients feel a 75% reduction in pain after just six laser treatments performed in two weeks. Many patients who were scheduled for surgery were able to delay or cancel their surgery because MLS laser therapy significantly reduced or eliminated their pain.
Laser therapy is the best way to get your little athlete back on their feet in the shortest amount of time. The best part is you don’t need to see a doctor before receiving laser treatment. You can simply call and schedule your laser appointment anytime!
Combine laser therapy with the Mod Pod Injury Recovery Kit for maximum results. The kit includes a detoxifying and pain reducing foot soak, an all-natural pain relief stick, and a cooling foot spray to create a long-lasting effect. This bundle provides pain relief for up to four hours and can be used multiple times a day.
We want to see your kiddo back on the field as soon as possible. That’s why we offer same-day appointments and work diligently to get your child healed and back in the game. Don’t let a football injury sideline your season—call the office at 859-264-1141 or schedule an appointment online with our office today!