3 Common Foot & Ankle Injuries to Look Out for This Football Season
With the official NFL season underway, our thoughts have turned to the kinds of football injuries players sustain to their feet and ankles. To be sure, the pros aren’t the only ones on the field – high schoolers and even middle schoolers are hard at play, too. Anyone who plays football at any age should be aware of these three common foot and ankle injuries:
- Sprains and fracturesFootball requires a lot of running, turning, and pivoting, which means the feet and ankles are under constant stress. All that moving around ups your chances of rolling an ankle inward, causing a lateral ankle sprain. When the ankle turns inward, the outer (lateral) ligaments stretch beyond their capacity.
A rolled ankle, a jump with an awkward landing, or a slip and fall on a wet field can also cause a fracture (broken bone). Tackles present the real possibility of even more foot and ankle abuse, with brawny guys landing directly on your bones.
Finally, when a sprain or fracture occurs within a midfoot area known as the Lisfranc complex, it’s likely to keep a player off the field for several weeks or months.
- Turf toeTurf toe occurs when a football player forcefully jams his big toe into the ground, and the soft tissues at the base of the toe are injured. It’s easy to do when playing on artificial turf – hence turf toe’s name.
- Ruptured Achilles tendonQuick starts and stops, as well as tackles, can cause the large tendon at the back of the heel to tear.
We offer a modern office with the latest technology for podiatric patients in Portage, Geauga, Cuyahoga, and Summit Counties, proudly serving our patients from Solon, Aurora, Bedford, Chagrin Falls, Hudson, Macedonia, and Twinsburg. Our experienced podiatric surgeons, Dr. Craig B. Frey, Dr. Megan L. Oltmann, and Dr. Jim Swienconek, give expert care to football players and others who’ve sustained acute or chronic sports injuries. Call Foot & Ankle Associates of Cleveland in Solon, Ohio, at (440) 903-1041 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.
