April 2015

Athletes will often sustain sprained ankles; they are one of the most common injuries sports players receive. It is general knowledge that sprained ankles are painful and debilitating conditions that often keep players off their feet and away from activity. Once an ankle is sprained, the occurrence of re-injury is much more likely.

After sustaining a sprained ankle, the sports medicine doctor and physical therapist recommended the RICE method as a method to get back on one’s feet and get back into playing sports. RICE is an acronym that stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation—the four things one should do to recover from a sprained ankle. Along with the RICE method, an athlete should wear an ankle brace to help alleviate the pain and secure the ankle until it has fully healed. A brace will stabilize the ankle as well as prevent it from sustaining other more serious injuries. People often suffer from sprained ankles due to weak ligaments located in or near the ankle; because an ankle brace keeps the ligaments in the foot from experiencing excessive movement, injuries can be avoided.

Another common injury many athletes experience are foot and ankle fractures. Stress fractures in particular often occur when there is an increase in athletic training for an athlete. There are two types of stress fractures: stable and displaced. Stable stress fractures are marked by a lack of shifting in bone alignment, whereas displaced stress fractures are characterized by bones that are not properly aligned.

Stress fractures warrant an immediate trip to the hospital or doctor. Treatment for stress fractures often involves significant rest and refraining from taking part of the sport that caused the injury. Strenuous activities should also be avoided. Certain doctors or specialists have the ability to specifically determine what in an athlete’s training caused the stress fracture. If this can be pinpointed, the athlete can therefore adjust his or her training accordingly without having to worry about refraining from playing the sport.

Special attention must be paid to treatment for foot and ankle injuries such as sprained ankles and stress fractures. Athletes should be sure to rest before engaging in activity. With great care and attention to treatment comes a faster and more successful recovery.

Athlete’s foot is an extremely contagious infection caused by a fungus that results in itching, burning, dry, and flaking feet. The fungus that causes athletes foot is known as tinea pedis and thrives in moist, dark areas such as shower floors, gyms, socks and shoes, commons areas, public changing areas, bathrooms, dormitory style houses, locker rooms, and public swimming pools.

Athlete’s foot is difficult to treat as well because of the highly contagious and recurrent nature of the fungus.

Tinea is the same fungus that causes ringworm, and is spread by direct contact with an infected body part, contaminated clothing, or by touching other objects and body parts that have been exposed to the fungus. Because the feet are an ideal place for tinea to grow, thrive, and spread, this is the most commonly affected area, but it is known to grow in other places. However, for obvious reasons, the term athlete’s foot describes tinea that grows strictly on the feet.

The most commonly infected body parts are the hands, groin, and scalp, as well as obviously the feet. Around 70% of the population suffer from tinea infections at some point in their lives, however not all of these cases are athlete’s foot. Just like any other ailment, some people are more likely to get it than others, such as people with a history of tinea infections or other skin infections, both recurring and non-recurring ones. On top of this, the extent to which a person experiences regrowth and recurrent tinea infections varies from person to person.

Sometimes people will not even know that they are infected with tinea or that they have athlete’s foot because of a lack of symptoms. However, most experience mild to moderate flaking, itching, redness, and burning. However, some of the more severe symptoms include cracking and bleeding skin, intense itching and burning, pain while walking or standing, and even blistering.

Because of the recurring nature of the tinea fungus and the athlete’s foot it causes, the best way to treat this condition is with prevention. While it is hard to completely avoid, you can take some preventative measures such as wearing flip flops or sandals in locker rooms and public showers to reduce contact with the floor. It also helps to keep clean, dry feet while allowing them to breathe.

Using powders to keep your feet dry is a good idea, as well as keeping your feet exposed to light and cool air, as these are not desirable conditions for tinea to grow. If you do happen to get athlete’s foot, treating it with topical medicated creams, ointments or sprays will not only help eliminate it but also prevent it from coming back.

Flip-flops are often a popular choice of footwear for their ability to allow your feet to take in open air. As well as, for the freedom of movement they allow your toes. They are easy to slip on and can be worn with virtually any style of clothing. Flip-flops, however, despite their many benefits, can be detrimental for your foot health.

Despite their comfortableness, the frequent wearing of flip-flops can create problems in the lower body over time. Issues mainly stem from the fact that people walk differently in flip-flops compared to other footwear, such as sneakers. This is due to a change in one’s natural gait, which therefore creates stress in different parts of the body while simultaneously throwing off the body entirely. Problems can also arise in the arches and balls of the feet, as flip-flops provide little to no support to these areas.

Aside from long-term problems, flip-fops can also create short-term issues as well, such as ankle sprains and blisters. Weak materials that are flexible and bendable are generally used to manufacture flip-fops; these materials make a wearer prone to both trip and injure their ankles. Flip-flops can create blisters as the material rubs against the foot. People are much more at risk for infection while wearing flip-flops due to their openness; this also makes it easier to scrape and cut the foot since there is a lack of protection. If these cuts are left untreated and uncovered, the risk then becomes greater.

To prevent the aforementioned occurrences, purchase a pair of flip-flops that offer significant protection. The soles of the flip-flops should not be floppy, but sturdy and firm, and should not significantly bend or wiggle when lifted from the floor. Flip-flops made of high-quality materials will not be affected by this problem. While higher quality flip-flops may be more expensive, they will last longer and provide better protection compared to a cheaper pair. Brand name flip-flops sold from a quality manufacturer are a dependable option.