My name is Melinda Johnson and I suffered with foot pain for many years. I went to see a podiatrist and after an examination, I was told that I had heel spur syndrome. I followed the recommendations of my doctor by doing at home treatments along with physical therapy. I was amazed at how much these treatments helped my foot pain. Living with pain can have a big impact on your life and that's why I started this blog. My foot pain kept me from doing many things that I enjoy and I want to help others who are going through the same situation. As you browse through my blog, you'll learn about home treatments, medical procedures and new advancements in medicine that can help reduce pain. It is my hope that by writing this blog, you can live pain free too.
Loving My Pain Free Life
Volleyball And Ankle And Foot Injuries: What A Parent Should Know
Claire Roberts
When your child tells you that they want to play sports, you may be apprehensive about the prospect. After all, many children who participate in sports sustain injuries at one point or another. However, when your child tells you that volleyball is their sport of choice, you breathe a little internal sigh of relief. You think to yourself that volleyball isn't a contact sport and will therefore be safer for your child to participate in. But, what you do not know is how volleyball and ankle and foot injuries are closely linked. To keep your child safe and injury free, get to know what common ankle and foot injuries volleyball players suffer from and what can be done about it.
Inversion Ankle Sprains
Perhaps the most common ankle injury that can occur when your child is playing volleyball is what is known as an inversion ankle sprain. This is an ankle injury that occurs when the foot turns inward, stretching the ligaments of the ankle beyond their capacity and causing those ligaments to tear.
When volleyball players dive for the ball or jump up to spike or block at the net, they can easily land wrong and accidentally place the full force of impact on the side of the foot and ankle, causing such an injury. To help prevent this problem, your child can wear ankle braces while playing for extra support. They should also thoroughly stretch the ankles and feet prior to practice or competition to keep the ligaments and muscles limber.
If they do end up with an inversion ankle sprain, you should take them to see a foot and ankle specialist as soon as possible to assess the extent of the damage and to prescribe treatment. Should your child try to continue on without proper treatment, they could do further damage to their ankle and cause chronic sprains and ankle malfunction that could last their entire life.
Achilles Tendinitis
Another common injury sustained by volleyball players occurs from overuse and repeated activity rather than an acute injury (like an ankle sprain). This common problem is known as Achilles tendinitis and affects the heel of the foot.
Achilles tendinitis is the inflammation of the Achilles heel (on the backside of the foot and ankle). It generally occurs during training for sports, particularly weight lifting and jump training for volleyball players. To prevent this inflammation from continuing and getting worse, your child should stretch thoroughly before and after weight training and practice. Ice and painkillers can also help reduce pain and swelling.
If Achilles tendinitis is left untreated and allowed to worsen, physical therapy, immobilization (through a cast or walking boot), or even surgery may be necessary to correct the disorder. So, be sure that if your child begins to experience pain or stiffness in their Achilles heel that they back off the intensity of their workouts and take proper care of the injury.
While volleyball is not a contact sport, the risk of foot and ankle injuries does still exist. However, with proper preventive techniques and swift treatment, these injuries can be kept to a minimum.
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