Tips For Spring Foot Care

When the weather warms up, we often take our activities and exercises outside. After the winter lull, our feet and lower limbs become very susceptible to injury. If you’re currently starting a new workout regimen, or generally increasing your outdoor activity, be careful! Even simple exercises with repetitive movements can cause or worsen certain injuries like:

• Plantar Fasciitis
• Achilles Tendinitis
• Shin Splints

Whether you’re an experienced athlete or not, it’s important to be smart as you increase physical activity – start by:

• gradually increasing your exercises
• warming up and stretching out
• wearing supportive shoes appropriate for your activities

When you establish a solid foundation at the beginning of your training, you make yourself much less vulnerable to injuries that will keep you from enjoying the season.

Proper Footwear

The right shoe gear should fit comfortably, stabilize your ankles and feet, and let your feet and limbs work however is needed for the activity at hand. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Sands for guidance in selecting suitable footwear or supportive insoles. Dr. Sands can also provide you valuable instruction about training at a gradual pace, warming up, stretching, and other tips to avoid injury – starting off “on the right foot,” so to speak.

Treatment

If you do get injured, you should handle it by:

1. holding off from intense physical activity
2. rest the injured area
3. apply ice or cold packs to reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation (ice no more than 15 minutes at a time – then allow skin to warm back up)
4. take anti-inflammatory medication.

In cases of severe pain, extensive bruising, loss of stability, discoloration, or symptoms lasting more than a week, you should meet with one of our podiatrists to examine the severity of the injury right away. Advanced Foot and Ankle can offer a variety of treatments and supportive devices to help you through your healing process, as well as evaluate your footwear and your training methods to see if either might be causing or exacerbating the injury.

Spring is a fantastic time to enjoy the outdoors and get your body moving! Just remember to start slow, gradually increase your physical activity, warm up and stretch out. Remember, the right shoes should give comfort and support to help keep injuries from occurring.  Dr. Sands is always here to help you make the best choices and keep a spring in your step – not just this season, but all year long!