Whether you’re a professional athlete, student player, or weekend warrior, having a sports injury can mean staying on the sidelines for weeks—sometimes months! But with personalized podiatric care, you can get off the bench and back in the game sooner.
At New Canaan Podiatry in New Canaan, Connecticut, board-certified podiatrist Jennifer Tauber, DPM, understands well the frustration that comes from an injury that stops you from engaging in your favorite physical activities.
Dr. Tauber expertly assesses, diagnoses, and treats your sports injury using the most effective therapies so you can return to play safely. Here’s a look at four reasons to see a podiatrist if you’re struggling with a sports injury.
Even mild sports injuries can be problematic if they don’t heal properly. Long-term complications develop when your feet and ankles don’t get the proper care.
For example, a simple ankle sprain can lead to chronic ankle instability if it doesn’t heal correctly. This increases your chances of having more ankle injuries, chronic pain, and inflammation in the future.
Dr. Tauber helps you avoid future problems by accurately diagnosing your injury and recommending the best therapies to help you heal. She can also suggest additional preventive measures, such as custom orthotics to help better distribute stress and force on your feet and ankles.
There’s no shortage of information on the internet about sports injuries and how taping or strapping can help. Unfortunately, not all of the information you read is accurate. This can lead you to try to tape an injury the wrong way, causing more harm than good.
This is because the right way to tape an injury depends on your injury type, your symptoms, and your unique body. When you come to a podiatrist about your sports injury, your doctor evaluates your condition to ensure you understand the right and wrong ways to support your injury.
When done the right way, taping and strapping offer many benefits, such as:
When correctly taped, this support also helps you stay active as you recover. This speeds up healing and prevents muscle and bone loss. Talk to Dr. Tauber to learn more about the right way to support your sports injury.
Some sports injuries may make it difficult to stand or walk. Using a crutch and keeping off your injured limb can help, but it also decreases blood flow to the injured foot or ankle and can cause you to lose bone mass in the damaged body part.
The good news is that a podiatrist can help prevent these issues by prescribing a splint, brace, or walking cast. These devices give you extra stability, so you have less inflammation and pain while still being able to use the injured foot and ankle.
As a result, your circulation is better, helping your injury heal faster. Plus, walking on your foot for short periods helps prevent bone loss and keeps your muscles engaged and strong, lowering your risk of re-injury.
Every sports injury is slightly different, and everyone’s body reacts differently to different injuries. When you visit a podiatrist like Dr. Tauber, you get personalized sports injury treatment recommendations ranging from minimal therapies, like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), to surgical interventions.
If your sports injury requires surgical intervention, Dr. Tauber uses minimally invasive arthroscopic approaches whenever possible. This orthopedic procedure uses tiny incisions instead of bigger, more invasive ones, which means a faster, easier recovery and fewer side effects.
If you’ve sustained a sports injury while playing, don’t wait to schedule an appointment online or over the phone with Dr. Tauber at New Canaan Podiatry as soon as possible!
