Helping Them Heal Correctly - The Five C’s Of Podiatric Sports Injury Treatment

As long as there have been sports, there have been sports injuries. Since feet and ankles provide the foundation for the athlete they often take the most punishment and are site of the majority of these injuries. Getting the foundation back under the athlete is critical to getting them back on the field.

When ankle and foot injuries occur it is important to make sure that a proper approach is taken to treating the injury. Particularly when dealing with an young athlete, following the five C's of podiatric sports injury treatment can help to insure that the injury heals correctly and thoroughly, but also can reduce the amount of time spent recovering. The five C's are;

  • Conservative Measures - Using conventional treatments that follow the acronym P.R.I.C.E.  These stand for Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.  Following these time tested methods continue to be the best approach to healing.
  • Cross Training - With today's specialization of athletes and children choosing early to focus on one sport, training often becomes geared for that sport only and can lead to unbalanced physical conditioning. By cross training and bringing in other exercises, muscles and joints not critical to the sport can be strengthened and less likely to be injured.
  • Control - While foot and ankle injuries have traditionally been treated using immobilizing devices such as splints, casts, walking boots etc. and this approach is important, it is also important to allow some functional activity and range of motion exercises to avoid the joint becoming stiff while healing.
  • Compassion - It is important to remember that young athletes have many other things going on in their lives besides sports and the injury they are dealing with. School, home and other stresses can also be overwhelming and parents, coaches and peers need to keep this in mind as they support the athlete.
  • Compliance - As days pass by and games are missed athletes and coaches tend to get more and more anxious for the return to the field. It is critical to establish a realistic timeline for this return and then stick with it so as not to aggravate the injury.  Often times trying to return too soon results in extending the recovery time to much longer than originally necessary.

By sticking with these guidelines, injuries to athletes can be prevented, lessened in severity and properly healed.  This allows the athlete to spend more time in the game and less time recovering on the sideline. Visit a site like http://www.elmhurstpodiatry.com for more help.


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