Sports Injuries Specialist

What are sports injuries?

Sports injuries can be acute - a fall, tackle, or other trauma - or chronic, due to overuse and imbalances in your body. Sports injuries can occur anytime you’re physically active. Children and teenagers are particularly prone to sports injuries, but adults experience them, too.

You increase your risk of developing a sports injury if you exercise only intermittently, don’t warm up before practice, or play contact sports.

What are some common types of sports injuries?

The podiatric team at Permian Basin Foot and Ankle expertly handles various acute and chronic sports injuries with conservative and surgical care.

Sprains and strains

When you overstretch or tear a ligament, you experience a sprain. Ligaments are tough bands of tissue that connect bones to bones at your joints. The most common type of sprain is an ankle sprain, which occurs when you twist, step, or awkwardly roll your ankle.

A strain describes an overstretched muscle or tendon. A tendon connects your muscles to your bones.

Fractures

A fracture is a broken bone that happens as a result of an injury or sudden impact to one or more bones. Fractures can happen due to a strong tackle, such as in football, or when you drop something heavy on your foot. Stress fractures in your feet may occur from overuse. Permian Basin Foot and Ankle customizes treatment for your fracture, so it heals as quickly as possible, and your function is restored. 

Plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is diagnosed when the thick band of tissue that connects your heel bone to your toes becomes inflamed. This condition is common in runners, but can also develop in people who wear unsupportive footwear or who are overweight. Plantar fasciitis causes stabbing pain that’s most evident first thing in the morning. 

Tendonitis

Your feet contain a number of tendons, the connective tissue that connects a muscle to a bone. If any of these tendons are inflamed and irritated, you suffer from tendonitis that can cause pain and interferes with play and daily function. Tendonitis can affect many areas of your foot, including the Achilles at the back of the ankle, the peroneal tendon on the side of the foot, and the flexor tendon, which allows you to curl your second, third, fourth, and fifth toes. 

Achilles tendon rupture

Your Achilles tendon attaches your calf muscle to your heel bone. This tendon can be strained from overuse, ramping up your activity level too quickly, or by wearing inappropriate shoes for an activity. If the Achilles tendon ruptures, you might experience sudden pain, swelling, or difficulty walking. An Achilles tendon rupture often needs surgical repair.

How are sports injuries treated?

Whenever possible, the team at Permian Basin Foot and Ankle uses conservative measures to treat sports injuries. For example, if you suffer a sprain or strain, your doctor usually recommends rest, ice, compression, and elevation — the RICE protocol. You may also benefit from pain medications, physical therapy, and immobilization of the injured joint. Custom orthotics can also be beneficial.

If these measures don’t provide relief, you might benefit from corticosteroid injections. The practice also offers innovative platelet-rich plasma injections. This therapy consists of injections of a compound that’s derived from your blood but concentrated in platelets, so it’s rich in healing factors. PRP stimulates your body’s healing capacity to help you recover from sports injuries like tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and some sprains and strains.

For serious injuries that don’t respond to conservative treatments, surgical intervention may be necessary.

The team at Permian Basin Foot and Ankle offers support for those suffering from sports injuries. Don’t delay in getting treatment, hoping your injury will just go away. Schedule today by calling the office or using the online booking tool.