How to Prevent Lower Body Sports Injuries With Effective Arch Support

Bodily injuries while practicing sports are issues that the majority of athletes and coaches are accustomed to. These conditions can cause physical pain to the athlete, but in many cases can set back the entire team. A disabled team member can hurt the outcome of games and can have lasting influence on the season as well. Just as one missing athlete affects a team, a hurt body part has a negative impact on the entire body. Lower-leg conditions such as sprained ankles, hyper-extended knees, and shin splints can be caused by bad form, lack of flexible muscle tone, and excessive use of the feet and lower legs. As reported by medical physicians at the Cleveland Clinic, most athletes suffer from shin splints at one point or another. Here's how to prevent and treat these painful conditions, as well as avoiding other frequent sports injuries.

Shin Splints: How They Originate

There are many symptoms caused by shin splints such as frontal pain in the shin area. This pain can be sharp and extreme, especially when putting 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 around the muscles. No matter what type of activity, from soccer to baseball any athlete can suffer from these conditions. Treatment for shin splints should be sought immediately so that proper physical therapy and anti-inflammatory drugs can be started. Shin splints treatment started by physical therapists includes rest, elevation, and icing of the injured area for 1 to 2 days. Continued physical therapy and preventative exercises include strength training moves and stretching of the Achilles tendon and the muscles in the front of the shin.

Ankle and Knee Injuries Can Make the Season Come to a Halt

Twisting injuries are also commonly seen in impact-type sports. This is caused by either a forceful injury, which cannot be prevented, or from weak muscles of the ankle, lower leg, and knee. Strengthening weak muscles can be accomplished through weight lifting or movements recommended by a sports therapist that target the lower leg. Damaged muscles lead to tendons and ligaments that cannot hold the bones and muscles together tightly so that simple movements or athletic activities can cause twisting injuries. Another preventive measure for preventing these types of injuries are to be sure the feet have proper foot arch support. This can be accomplished through sports arch support inserts that support the foot during impact. The medical professionals at the Cleveland Clinic also advise taping the arch for added foot arch support during games.

How Tearing Injuries Happen

Tearing of the connecting structures of the lower leg are also common types of sports-related injuries. This is most commonly found in the connecting structures of the knees and back of the heels. An Achilles injury is generally caused by a lack of flexibility in the heel tendon due to improper stretching exercises. This is an important step in the stretching procedure that should never be skipped. Slow stretches without force are recommended for all sports participants. Holding the stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds, resting for a few moments, then repeating the stretch is what kinesiology specialists suggest. Anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) are found in the knee and help maintain the knee structure together. Injuries to this area can be prevented by strength training the knee , calf muscle and thigh through curls and extensions of the leg. Arch support insoles can help avert both of these styles of injuries by providing proper arch support, foot alignment, and cushioning.

Shin Splints and Flat Feet: Causes and Treatments

Shin Splints and Flat Feet: The Ways that Sports Can Damage Your Feet

If you love running or taking part in team sports, you’re at risk for shin splints, knee pain, Achilles tendonitis, and other lower extremity injuries. Medial tibial stress syndrome, as it is referred to by the Mayo Clinic, is a pain that travels down the distance of the shin bone and is caused by too much pressure on the bones, muscles, and ligaments of the lower leg. This stress can be made possible by running activities in any setting and can be exacerbated by low arches and insufficient support of the arches.

Many leading sports therapists suggest using ice, taking a break from running or sports, and using proper shoes, preferably together with sports orthotics. Applying ice to the shin and supporting structures of the lower leg help ease pain while decreasing the amount of swelling soon after an injury. Rest is always recommended because it allows for the bones, tendons and muscles to repair themselves. Finally, wearing proper shoes can radically help deter reinjuring the lower legs and feet by providing sufficient cushioning and foot arch support. This promotes good foot location and absorbs shock. Sport insoles can significantly enhance endurance and performance because they offer foot arch support as well as additional cushioning. For people with fallen arches, these special sports orthotics lift the arch ideally and realign the legs.

Overpronation due to low arches can cause more than just shin splints to occur. Plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, ankle, knee, and low back pain, as well as Achilles tendonitis can be caused by low arches. If sports orthotics are not used during demanding sports activities, re-injury and serious foot problems can persist. The mechanics involved in these ailments are related to the plantar fascia tendon, which is the central structure supporting the arch of the foot. It is a band-like structure that elongates to absorb the shock triggered when the foot carries our body weight during sports activity. In people with low arches, this tissue has been over-stretched and has lost its ability to elongate. Its capability to absorb shock has left completely. This condition also causes overpronation of the foot, or the inclination for the ankles to roll toward the center of the body. The weight of the body is then oddly focused on one place rather than being uniformly distributed over the entire area of the foot. This is how sport orthotics can be of utmost importance in cases of low arches and other foot ailments; they provide stability and softness in all the right areas.

Shin Pain: Causes And Treatment With Running Shoe Insoles

Shin Splints consists in a throbbing pain in the shin bone area or tibia caused by injury to the tendon adjacent to the tibia. The consequent inflammation arises in the front or inside section of the tibia. In most cases, shin pain can result from intense physical activity such as running or jumping; shin pain often needs a long period of time to heal.

Common Symptoms of Shin Splints

Common shin splint symptoms include inflammation and/or soreness around the shin area, particularly after running or walking for long distances. The pain typically presents itself at the beginning of the workout, then lessens slightly, and reappears when settling into rest. It is not uncommon for shin splints to occur in people who have just started to get involved in running or walking activities.


Shin Splints: Common Causes

The main cause of shin pain is undue stretching of the muscles and tendons adjacent to the shin bones, which are the tibia and the fibula. Excessive use of these muscles by athletes and runners is the most common factor for this condition. Other causes for shin pain can also be due to excessive use of the anterior tibialis muscle in the front of the leg, along the outside front of the shin bones.

Excessive pronation of the feet can also be a major contributing factor for shin pain. Excessive pronation causes internal tibial rotation and increases the tractional forces upon the muscles and ligaments in the lower leg.

Shin Splints: Treatment and Relief

For the immediate term, rest is required to help alleviate shin pain. Running and other intense physical activities should be minimized until the condition is controlled. Shin splints are often prevented by going through a warm-up period before strong sports activity. It is of utmost importance for runners and athletes to steadily increment their level of activity, and always go through a proper warm-up before sudden or intense exercise. Changing your running style to reduce stride length and softening your heel strike can also contribute to a reduction of shin splints in the long term.

Using adequate footwear is also a good way to prevent and reduce the effect of shin splints, particularly for athletes who use a heavy heel strike. Running shoes with proper rear foot stability should be used whenever possible. Additionally, insoles for sports are useful by helping to correct over pronation and providing heel cushioning, thus reducing the impact while assisting with heel stability.

Runners and other athletes need to continuously engage in proper foot health care in order to perform properly at all times.