Common Sports-Related Foot Injuries & Their Recovery Times

When you’re an athlete, you will feel aches and pains all over your body after a contest. If those aches and pains don’t go away after a day of rest and begin to linger and worsen, they may be more severe. There’s no way to compete at the highest level without your feet, so knowing the most common sports-related foot injuries and their recovery times might give you insight into your current ailment.

Achilles Tendinitis

With the running and jumping involved in sports, your Achilles tendon takes the brunt of the damage. Achilles tendinitis is a common sports injury that occurs when an athlete overuses the tendon, and it’s a frequent injury for avid runners.

Achilles tendinitis will completely heal between six-to-eight weeks. Although, with a diligent recovery regimen set forth by your doctor, you could accelerate the recovery time. Once fully recovered, take the appropriate steps and self-care strategies to prevent this injury in the future.

Ankle Sprain

As with other injuries related to sports, an ankle sprain may be mild, generating little discomfort or severe, and it can make walking and standing difficult or unpleasant. All ankle sprains happen when a foot twists and damages the ankle’s ligaments.

Inversion ankle sprains are the most frequent form and occur by inward foot twisting, stretching the outer ligaments, and causing injury. Eversion sprains happen by an outward foot twist and often cause more extensive damage to the inner ankle ligaments.

Depending on the severity of the sprain, it could take upward of three months to as little as two weeks for an ankle sprain to heal.

Stress Fracture

Stress fractures can happen out of nowhere due to the constant stress an athlete puts on their feet and ankles. Virtually any athletic endeavor leaves your feet vulnerable, opening the door for a stress fracture.

Inadequate fitness, equipment, or technique may affect the foot and ankle mechanics, leading to a stress fracture. A stress fracture is a minor split in the bone instead of a fracture.

When following the RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) protocol, you can expect a stress fracture to heal after six-to-eight weeks.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a degenerative disorder of the thick band of tissue that extends from your heel to your toes on the sole of your foot, resulting in heel discomfort. It’s often worst when you take your first steps of the day or after a lengthy period of sitting. It tends to feel better with exercise but worsens after standing for an extended period.

Historically, physicians believed that heel spurs caused discomfort. They now think that heel spurs are a consequence, not a cause, of plantar fasciitis.

Recovery time for this injury varies. It could take over a year to heal naturally. However, you could be 100 percent within three months if you get surgery.

Having any of these common sports-related foot injuries and knowing their recovery times helps you realize this is just a blip on the radar. ProAm Sports Medicine guarantees top-of-the-line rehabilitation and treatment. As the best orthopedic sports medicine clinic in Las Vegas, we help athletes get back on their feet from any injury. Contact our 24-hour support hotline or e-mail us today to schedule a visit!