How to recover from a foot injury

When nice weather shows up, so do the athletes! Seasoned runners, beginner cyclists or team sports lovers, all of them frequently use their lower limbs, and no one is safe from sudden pain or persisting discomfort.

Instead of assuming pain is normal in the efforts to get results or convincing yourself you’re just a little rusty, it is essential to pay attention to your symptoms and to investigate their cause as soon as possible. A consultation will facilitate the recovering process and will allow you to get a straightforward action plan to avoid pain from coming back. No one should ever get used to chronic discomfort. 

 Diagnosis

Have you ever experienced any pain on top of the foot while hiking? Is your big toe painful after a soccer game? Have you sustained a shock that left you with a weak and unstable ankle? Pain is a red flag warning you that something is wrong. The first step towards a lasting recovery is to analyze and understand where it comes from. Many reasons can explain its origin: inadequate equipment, bad moves, sport-specific repeated action, genetics or posture… Making an appointment with your podiatrist will do you a huge service. They will ask questions, perform a biomechanical evaluation, and present you with a treatment plan tailored to meet your needs.

 Rehabilitation

Once the source has been identified, it’s time to neutralize the pain. For this purpose, your podiatrist will explain how to reduce the inflammation. Secondly, according to the cause and severity, they will treat your injury with different medical and mechanical techniques. It may include strengthening exercises to repeat at home, specific manipulations, target muscles stretching, or taping. Maybe you will have to change shoes, need orthopedic support, adjust your posture, or correct some old habits. In any case, you’ll get the support you need to get back on track and make sure you can continue enjoying your favorite sport without that bottom of foot pain you’ve been dealing with. 

 Follow-up

Proactivity and perseverance are your best allies. Use all reasonable means to make sure the injury doesn’t reoccur. To do this, you must follow your treatment plan and incorporate the prescribed exercises to your routine. Being aware of your movements and posture are also part of healthy practices to adopt. Patience: a complete recovery requires time, gentleness, alertness, and discipline.

Your feet hold you up and work with you. Don’t wait too long before consulting when any discomfort occurs. The expertise of a professional is indeed recommended to avoid long-term collateral damages and to ensure a safe recovery. Athletes of all levels state that their performance improved and can now train without any problem since they have been seeing a podiatrist. As Hippocrates said: ̎Η άσκηση είναι ιατρική ̎ or exercise is medicine!