Footnotes / Blog
With the spring finally here after a long winter, golfing will be picking back up.
Foot and ankle related golf injuries are common during this time of year.
Most golf injuries to the feet and ankles are overuse injuries, due to the repetitive nature of swinging the golf club in the same or similar form with each swing.
- Blisters: Friction of the skin on improper fitting shoes can create painful skin lesions.
- Stress fractures: Microtrauma to susceptible bones in the feet can cause tiny breaks in the bone.
- Neuromas: Overly tight golf shoes can irritate the sensory nerves between the lesser toes.
- Ankle ligament strain: Twisting the ankle during the swing can cause inflammation.
- Plantar fasciitis: Walking long distances in golf shoes without proper support can cause this very common form of heel pain.
- Tendinitis or tears: The same repetitive motion can irritate the tendons around the ankle and on the foot.
More focus has been placed on the lower extremity in golfing in recent years, as there have been some high profile injuries. Tiger woods has suffered injuries to both of his Achilles tendons, significantly reducing his ability to play.
Treatment options for these sports injuries are almost always conservative initially.
- Rest
- Ice
- NSAIDs
- Cortisone Injections
- Physical therapy
- Bracing
- Properly fitting shoes
- Orthotics
If conservative treatment fails the patient may opt for surgical correction of their injury. This would be discussed in further detail with their foot and ankle surgeon.
If you have pain in your lower extremity that is decreasing your ability to play the sports you enjoy, see one of the licensed podiatrists at Innovative Foot and Ankle. We are conservatively minded foot and ankle specialists that are all surgically trained. We have four office locations in the Northern New Jersey counties of Essex, Hudson, Union, and Bergen.