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Prevent Lower Body Sports Injuries By Using Orthotics
By Hikerpro | September 9, 2010
Sports injuries are an issue that many coaches and athletes are accustomed to. They can cause physical pain to the athlete, but in many cases can set back the entire team. An injured team member can affect the outcome of games and can have lasting influence on the season as well. Similar to the way a team is influenced by a benched member, a disabled body part affects the entire body. Lower-leg conditions such as sprained ankles, hyper-extended knees, and shin splints can be caused by improper form, lack of stretching, and excessive use of the lower body. According to medical professionals at the Cleveland Clinic, the majority of athletes develop shin splints sometime during their career. Here’s how to help them heal and try to avoid this debilitating issue, as well as averting other common sports injuries.
Shin Splints: The Evils of Overuse and Impact on the Lower Leg
Shin splints cause symptoms such as pain running through the front or sides of the calf and shin areas. The pain can be constant and debilitating, especially when adding pressure on the affected leg. There can also be swelling in the area that can produce tightness as well as produce visible inflammation and tenderness in the muscles. No matter what type of activities, from cross country to basketball any athlete can be afflicted by these conditions. Shin splints treatment should be commenced within minutes to jump-start the tissue repair process. Shin pain treatment recommended by sports injury specialists includes rest, elevation, and icing of the painful area for 1 to 2 days. Continued physical therapy and preventive exercises include lower leg weight bearing moves and stretching of the Achilles tendon and the muscles in the front of the shin.
How Sports Can Cause Knee and Ankle Twist Injuries
Another type of injury that is seen in impact sports is twisting of the ankle and knee. This is caused by either a blunt-force injury, which cannot be avoided, or from weak muscles of the lower leg, knee, and ankle. Weak muscles can be strengthened with weight bearing or movements recommended by a sports therapist that target the lower leg. Weak muscles lead to weakened support structures in the entire lower leg so that simple movements or athletic activities can cause twisting injuries. Another preventive measure for stopping these types of injuries are to support the arch of the feet with firm foot arch support. This can be accomplished specially-designed orthotic shoe inserts made for sports activities. The physicians at the Cleveland Clinic also recommend taping the arch for additional foot arch support during sports activities.
Tearing Injuries: Why They Occur in the Lower Leg
Rupturing of the tendons and ligaments are also widespread types of sports injuries. This is most commonly found in the Achilles tendon and anterior cruciate ligament. An Achilles injury is commonly caused by little flexibility in the heel tendon due to poor stretching form. This is a vital part in the warmup procedure that must be taken seriously. Gentle stretches without force are recommended for all sports participants. Kinesiologists recommend a 30 second stretch, releasing for a few seconds, and then repeating the stretch. ACL (Anterior cruciate ligaments) are found in the knee and help keep the knee structure together. Injuries to this area can be avoided by weight-bearing exercises of the knee , calf muscle and thigh through leg extension exercises and curls. Orthotics can help avoid both of these kinds of injuries by providing proper arch support, ideal cushion, and proper foot form.
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