Ankle injuries are very prevalent in fast-paced sports such as basketball, where repetitive lateral movement allows plenty of room for injury.

Alex Len and Brandon Knight of the Phoenix Suns have both sprained their ankles and consequently missed games. Sprains are typically treated initially with RICE therapy, or rest, ice, compression and elevation. Players returning to the court should tape the ankle or wear an ankle brace to provide additional support to weakened ligaments.

Physical therapy will often follow, with an emphasis on balance training to help strengthen muscles.
Ankle sprains are very pain and inconvenient. If you have any concerns about your foot and ankle needs contact one of our podiatrists of Greene Podiatry Associates, Inc. Our doctors will treat your foot and ankle needs.

How Does an Ankle Sprain Occur?
Ankle sprains take place when the ligaments in your ankle are torn or stretched beyond their limits. There are multiple ways that the ankle can become injured, including twisting or rolling over onto your ankle, putting undue stress on it, or causing trauma to the ankle itself.

What are the Symptoms?

• Mild to moderate bruising
• Limited mobility
• Swelling
• Discoloration of the skin (depending on severity)

Preventing a Sprain

• Wearing appropriate shoes for the occasion
• Stretching before exercises and sports
• Knowing your limits can aid in prevention

Treatment of a Sprain
Treatment of a sprain depends on the severity.  Many times, people are told to rest and remain off their feet completely, while others are given an air cast. If the sprain is very severe, surgery may be required.

If you have suffered an ankle sprain previously, you may want to consider additional support such as a brace and regular exercises to strengthen the ankle.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact our offices located in Waynesburg and Fredericktown, PA. We offer the newest diagnostic tools and technology to treat your foot and ankle needs.

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Cory Smith of Phillymag calls the transition of the cold winter months into warmer, sunnier weather injury season. It is a time when all runners vamp up their training methods and are more likely to become injured. Smith has created five tips to help runners avoid injury during training.

Patience is key when it comes to running outside again. If you have not been running consistently, slowly start up your routine again to allow muscles to adapt to the stress again. Understand the differences between running on a treadmill and the higher difficulty of running outside. Forcing fitness before the feet and body are ready is a key way to obtain an injury.

Listen to your body, if you feel you need to take a rest day, then take it. If your shoes are worn or inappropriate for outdoor running get new ones that properly fit and function.

Runners can still be prone to running injuries even with proper precautions. If you are suffering from a running injury see Dr. Paula F. Raugellis of Greene Podiatry Associates, Inc. Dr. Raugellis will provide you with quality treatment and assist you with all of your foot and ankle concerns.

How to Prevent Running Injuries
Many common running injuries are caused by overuse and overtraining. When the back of the kneecap starts wearing out and starts causing pain in your knee, this is commonly referred to as runner’s knee. Runner’s knee is a decrease in strength in your quadriceps and can occur if you’re not wearing properly fitted or supporting shoes. To prevent runner’s knee, focusing on hip strengthening is a good idea, as well as strengthening your quads to keep the kneecaps aligned.

What Are Some Causes of Running Injuries?
- One cause of a common running injury is called iliotibial band syndrome.
- Plantar fasciitis is also another common injury.
- Stress fractures can occur from overtraining, lack of calcium, or even your running style.

Best Ways to Prevent Running Injuries
- Wear footwear that fits properly and suits your running needs.
- Running shoes are the only protective gear that runners have to safeguard them from injury.
- Make a training schedule. Adding strengthening exercises as well as regular stretching can help keep you strong and limber and can lessen the possibility of injuries.
- Stretching keeps muscles limber, this will help you gain better flexibility.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact one of our offices located in Waynesburg and Fredericktown, PA. We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot care needs

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A new study suggests that acclimating to barefoot running may be more difficult for experienced older runners than younger runners. This difficulty transitioning may increase an older runner’s risk for injury while running without shoes. Barefoot running has come into popularity in recent years due to studies suggesting that the trend could decrease how hard the foot strikes the ground and lessen injuries. Enthusiasts for the trend claim that barefoot runners automatically shift the way they run to land on the forefoot, which places less strain on joints.

Recent research, however, has shown that older runners who try barefoot running still maintain a heel landing and do not naturally move to a forefoot landing; increasing their risk for injuries.
Barefoot running is a new trend that is not for everyone. For more information about barefoot running contact one of our podiatrists of Greene Podiatry Associates, Inc. Our doctors will treat your foot and ankle needs.

Barefoot Running
Barefoot running is a fairly popular trend in the running world. More than just simply ‘running without shoes,” barefoot running affects the way your feet hit the ground and your overall posture. Barefoot runners land on the front part of their feet as opposed to those who wear shoes, who usually strike their heel as they hit the ground.

Barefoot running contains many advantages, including:

• A lower risk for ankle and foot injuries
• Improvement in balance and body  posture
• Strengthens muscles in the lower legs, ankles and feet that are not normally worked when wearing shoes

There are also some disadvantages to barefoot running, which include:

• Lack of shoes increases the risk of incurring blisters, scrapes, bruises and cuts
• Risk of Achilles tendonitis as a result of landing on the front of your feet constantly
• Needing time and transition to adjust as the switch cannot be automatic

Start on even, flat surfaces and consider investing in minimalist running shoes. Minimalist running shoes provide the ‘feel’ of barefoot running while affording the same protection you get from wearing shoes. Barefoot running can be safe and enjoyable with the proper planning and transition.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact our offices located in Waynesburg and Fredericktown, PA. We offer the newest diagnostic tools and technologies to treat your foot and ankle needs.

Read more about Barefoot running.