Sports can cause a variety of problems in the foot and indirectly result in knee and back pain.
Often relativity straightforward changes can control the issues experienced. There are very many causes of sports related foot problems these include:
- Failing to break a new sport in gently. This can be a particular problem for older new athletes.
- Overtraining.
- Lack of stretching.
- Poor or badly fitting footwear.
- Excessive pronation or supination.
- Surface used for training e.g. road running.
- A pre-existing problem brought to light by the sport e.g. in growing toenail or plantar fasciitus.
Assessment
Podiatrists at Orthotika will carry out an assessment and identify the cause of the problem. This will involve:
- A biomechanical assessment.
- A review of the footwear worn.
- A review of the sport/training schedule, stretching regime and training surfaces.
Treatment
A treatment plan could include;
- Advice about training schedule and training surface.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Removal of the painful tissue e.g. corn, callus, ingrowing toenail.
- Treatment of the painful tissue e.g. verruca.
- Footwear advice.
- Stretching exercises
- Orthotic therapy-Orthotika provide Northampton University prescription insoles following temporary insole therapy.
- Recommendation for specialist referral.
Click Here to download Orthotika’s information sheet on Sports Assessment