The month of March brings the start of Massapequa’s spring sports. Most MHS sports started on March 2 and all Berner Middle School ones start on March 30 this year. Now, even if your high school athlete has already begun practicing, it’s not too late to focus on helping him or her prevent a foot or ankle injury. A key part of your children’s foot care is taking steps to reduce the risk of an injury that could leave your son or daughter on the sidelines.

It’s impossible to completely remove the possibility that spring sports injuries might happen. We wish we could, but sometimes things happen that we can’t control. This doesn’t mean that you can’t help to make them less likely, however. There are certainly steps that can be taken to decrease the odds, such as:

  • Make sure that your child has the right shoe for the sport. Wearing appropriate shoes is a lot like using the correct tool for a job. You might be able to eventually pound a nail into a block of wood with a screwdriver, but you’re better off using a hammer in the first place. In the same spirit, it’s possible to run around a track in basketball shoes, but running shoes are engineered for the sport and should always be the choice.
  • In addition to wearing the correct footwear, ensure that any shoes your child wears for spring sports fit well. Shoes that are too tight can potentially lead to black or ingrown toenails, corns and calluses, and even bunions or other toe deformities. On the other hand, loose footwear can cause blisters and not provide the support needed to prevent ankle sprains.
  • Promote the value of proper warmup and stretching exercises. It is important to warm up ligaments before engaging in vigorous activity, so instill this as a value in your children. Light jogging and calf stretches prior to competition will help decrease the risk of various injuries, including common ankle sprains and Achilles tendinitis.

Another good tip to help prevent spring sports injuries is to bring your son or daughter in for a check-up. We can make sure that old injuries healed fully and identify potential injury-prevention benefits of ankle braces or orthotics. Contact Foot Specialists of Long Island by calling (516) 804-9038 or using our online form to schedule an appointment with our Massapequa, NY office. Go Chiefs!!

Photo credit: Photonut via RGB-stock

 

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