A lot of people of all ages are involved in sports these days in order to stay fit and active. Many of them are weekend warriors who are not trained to do sports on a regular basis and hence get involved without doing adequate warm up and training. As a consequence, the incidence of sports injuries has risen significantly in the recent times. Foot and ankle regionis one of the most common areas of sports injuries and accounts for about 25% of athletic injuries according to American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Injuries most commonly happen in sports like running, soccer, badminton, cricket and basketball in our population. While most of the injuries can happen due to accident, other causes include poor training practices, improper equipment, insufficient warm up and lack of conditioning.

To prevent such injuries, one should warm up before starting any sports; wear shoes specific for your foot type and change them when they wear out. Proper conditioning of muscles and appropriate running habits including avoiding running on uneven surface is necessary.

A sportsperson can suffer from various foot problems like flat foot, neuroma etc. which are quite common. But there can be some injuries which happen frequently in athletes and need to be discussed. 5 most common injuries in foot and ankle region in sportspersons are:

Ankle Sprain

An ankle sprain is one of the most common injury in anathlete. Usually, sprains occur due to the twisting movement of the foot leading to damage to the ligaments of the ankle. They can be categorized into two types- inversion and eversion. An inversion sprain is more common and involves inward twisting of the ankle thus leading to injury to ligaments on outer aspect of ankle. On the other hand, eversion sprains are rare and caused due to outward twisting of ankle, thus affecting the ligaments on inner side of ankle. Most of the sprains can be minor ones and heal with a brief period of rest, ice and protection. However, in few cases, they may be serious which can lead to prolonged period of pain and difficulty in walking. Such cases if left untreated may cause instability and risk of recurrent sprains in future. It is prudent to see a foot and ankle specialist in such cases.

Achilles Tendinitis

It is a condition that affects the largest tendon (Achilles) in the body which runs at the back of the leg to the heel. It can occur to exertion and extreme stress which is common in sportspersons. But other causes of these issues can be ageing and degeneration. It causes pain and swelling in back of the heel along with difficulty in walking and running. Patients with Achilles tendonitis are also prone to develop Achilles tendon tear. It can be effectively managed by a period of rest, ice, analgesia, appropriate footwear and most importantly, physical therapy.

Stress Fractures

Stress fractures are more common in runners but can also be seen in sportspersons doing leg related activities like dancing, gymnastics, etc. The prime reason behind this ailment is the fatigue of the bones of ankles and foot due to excessive repeated loading. Bones of the feet (metatarsal) are the most affected bones in stress fractures though it can affect almost every bone. They may present with soreness, pain and bruising over the area of stress without any history of fall or injury. Treatment involves immobilization of foot in a plaster or a boot and prolonged period of abstaining from sports and running till the fracture heals.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis happens when the band of tissues supporting the arch of the foot (plantar fascia) is introduced to excessive stress. It causes inflammation in tissues and pain at the bottom of the heel. Most patients complain of pain in the heel after taking the first few steps in the morning on waking up or after a period of inactivity. Many of them may have a heel spur on X-ray as well. To get relief from this condition; ice, heel pads in shoes and physical therapy involving calf and plantar fascia stretch are recommended.

Turf Toe

Turf toe is a condition used to describe a sprain of the ligaments of the big toe. One can face such a medical problem when the heel is lifted off the ground and repetitive stress is applied to the big toe due to its hyperextended position. Though it was coined in view of its presence in American footballers who used to play on artificial turf, it may be seen in other sports like basketball, gymnastics, wrestling, and dance. It causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the base of the big toe which can happen after a sudden injury or with repetitive loads. Treatment in most cases involves rest, anti-inflammatory medicine, ice, and taping.