Recovering From Foot Injuries: Take it From a Tennis Pro

While many of our Manhattan patients have been enjoying the U.S. Open tennis tournament this month, there are two star players who are not appearing in this prestigious event: Rafel Nadal and Roger Federer. Both are suffering from lower extremity injuries—foot and knee, respectively—and we at Goldsmith Podiatry applaud their decision not to try to shortcut the time needed to heal properly. Too often, we see patients both young and older who try to get back to a sport before fully rehabilitating an injury. The result? Often a worse injury than the one they started with. Below are some other tips for treating foot injuries.

Don’t keep playing on an injured foot. Two popular sports maxims, “No pain, no gain” and “Play through the pain,” should not be followed when it comes to persistent pain in a foot or ankle. Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Continuing to put stress on an area that hurts will most likely cause a worse injury or secondary problem.

Get injuries evaluated promptly. Taking a wait-and-see approach seldom works with foot injuries. In some instances, especially with ankle sprains, it’s difficult to assess the seriousness of an injury. Pain subsiding is not always an indicator that an injury isn’t serious. It’s best to make an appointment at our Upper West Side office by calling 212-877-1002 so our podiatrists, Dr. Howard Goldsmith and Dr. Rosanna Troia can examine your foot or ankle and get x-rays or other imaging studies to evaluate the extent of an injury fully.

Follow the RICE regimen while you wait. Until the time of your appointment, Rest, Ice, Compress (with a compression bandage), and Elevate the affected foot. If the doctor gives the go-ahead, you can take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen to reduce pain and inflammation.

Complete the entire course of treatment. Follow the podiatrist’s instructions for healing your injury. Don’t stop physical therapy or using a brace, or doing the exercises the foot doctor has prescribed just because your foot feels better. To ensure that all supporting muscles strengthen to prevent future injuries.