It doesn’t matter if you’re a hardcore athlete or a weekend warrior — sports injuries will happen. And when they do, it's difficult to decide whether or not to see a doctor about the injury or pain. Although there’s no clear set of rules to tell if the injury needs to be seen by a doctor, these guidelines help easily decide when it’s time to get medical help.
Regular aches and pains
Suppose that every time you play basketball with friends and have pain in the ankle. The pain has gotten to be a regular part of the exercise routine. In fact, the only time it's being experienced is during and immediately after play. It doesn’t impact the regular daily routine.
This kind of injury is often referred to as an overuse injury. As long as there's no swelling, bruising, discoloration, limited range of motion, or locking in the joint, there is no need to see a doctor. Ice it, brace it while exercising, use an over-the-counter medication like Ibuprofen, and let it rest. But if the overuse injury doesn’t heal as expected, or if you experience any of the above symptoms, it might be time to see a doctor or sports podiatrist.
For serious injuries
While out running or playing football and an injury happens. It’s not a regular overuse injury. This time it feels different. There is the inability to walk normally; have swelling, bleeding, discoloration, numbness, pain, or bone misalignment. When experiencing a traumatic injury like this, it’s a good idea to head to the nearest urgent care clinic or emergency room. A doctor will need to do a physical exam, order x-rays, and maybe provide a cast, splint, or boot. Serious injuries may also require physical therapy for proper healing.
Call the Experts
Suffering from one of these common foot-related sports injuries—or perhaps one that’s not so common? Give Pioneer Podiatry a call at (07) 49425016 or Book Online
Trust your Podiatrist when it comes to preventing, diagnosing, and treating acute or chronic foot and ankle sports injuries. Let us help you get back on your feet and back in the game.
The podiatrists at Pioneer Podiatry are trusted by athletes to keep them injury-free during their training and competition seasons.
