Don't wait for a sports injury to go away
Often people who experience what they think is an ankle sprain or other minor injury to their foot or ankle while taking part in sport will assume that it will heal by itself, or simply 'go away'. Very often this is a mistake, sports injuries rarely go away by themselves and in many cases will get worse without professional treatment.
A podiatrist will be able to tell you that because the motions which your body experiences during sporting activity are often repetitive you tend to repeatedly place stress on the same extremities and muscles in your body. A good example of this is running;
While you are running your ankles and feet will continue to experience repeated stress with every stride you take. In that environment there is no chance that an injury to an ankle or foot will be able to repair itself.
A podiatrist will have experience in treating a wide range of foot and ankle related injuries and can diagnose your foot injury and offer you the best treatment options to restore your foot or ankle to perfect health.
Dealing with overuse injuries
Overuse injuries are the type of injuries most commonly encountered by podiatrists. This category of injuries would include stress fractures, Achilles tendonitis, heel pain, ankle sprains, etc. Any athlete who waits for these injuries to heal themselves or attempts self-treatment may have difficulty at some stage of their rehab. It is always better to seek treatment from a professional who has a good understanding of the biomechanics of the foot, leg and body.
Leaving the injury untreated, or attempting to return to training too soon is likely to make the injury worse. Your podiatrist will be able to work with you to limit the amount of time you are out of action, and to ensure that when you do return to sport your injury has healed properly.
If you have any concerns about injuries to your feet or ankles you should talk to your podiatrist today. Your podiatrist will be able to examine your foot and treat your injury effectively. They will also be happy to discuss your training habits with you to help ensure that you avoid foot related injuries in the future.