Sports Medicine and Podiatry

You may have heard the term “Sports Medicine” before, but do you know what it means? Sports medicine is a subspecialty of medicine that is concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries related to sports or exercise. It is an area of medicine that has been getting more attention lately, as an aging baby boomer population is living a very active life. This population, as well as millions of others with an active lifestyle, is prone to injuries of the bones, joints, muscles and ligaments, all of which can be treated by a sports medicine specialist. Podiatrists, as well as orthopedists and physiatrists, can all specialize in sports medicine.

So how big of a deal are sports injuries? In the United States alone, there are approximately 3-5 million sports-related injuries every year, which costs on average about $1 billion. According to information tracked by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) the most common sites for sports-related injuries are the ankle, knee, and lower leg. From high school sports statistics, over 53% of reported injuries were of the lower extremity. It’s easy to see how a podiatrist, a doctor specializing in the treatment of the foot and lower extremity, would be very busy if they specialized in sports medicine.

An often overlooked area of concern for many athletes is the preparation before participation in sports. Injuries are often sustained within the first four weeks of training. This is a critical time period for athletes to remain at the top of their game, and to remain injury-free. It is during this time period that prevention becomes extremely important, so as to avoid a serious injury.

Some of the most common sports-related injuries include sprained ligaments, muscle strains, and contusions (bruising). Many of these injuries are due to the enormous forces placed on the lower extremity during sports. When walking, we put roughly 1.5 times our body weight in force on each leg. When running, the forces are equal to roughly three times our body weight on each leg. Jumping increases the force to over six times body weight, and very high impact activities like skateboarding can increase the forces placed on our lower extremities to over seventeen times the body weight!

A podiatrist will usually work with the athlete directly or through the athletic trainer to prevent injury and improve function during activity. In sports medicine, a team approach is often taken with the podiatrist or other physician, the athlete, the athletic trainer, and often the coach. More advanced athletes and professional athletes may also have a massage therapist, a nutritionist, a personal trainer, and even a sports psychologist. The team that helps the athletes may be larger than the team of athletes itself!

Central Florida Foot and Ankle Center, LLC.
101 6TH St. NW.
Winter Haven, Fl. 33881
863-299-4551
http://www.FLFootandAnkle.com