Is your child pumped about participating in back-to-school sports, whether it’s soccer, basketball, track, or another activity? If so, it’s important to know that Achilles injuries are something student athletes experience frequently.
Fortunately, there are steps your student athlete can take to avoid these injuries and the pain that accompanies them, not to mention being benched for who knows how long!
Our knowledgeable podiatrists at Premier Foot & Ankle consider themselves your family’s partners in care, and we’re eager to work with you and your child, whether it’s providing education around injury prevention or advanced care and innovative treatments if they do experience an injury.
The Achilles tendon is the long tissue band that connects the calf muscle on the back of the lower leg to the heel. There are two main Achilles injuries that student athletes suffer — Achilles tendonitis and an Achilles rupture, which is an emergency.
Achilles tendonitis is marked by pain along the back of the leg and in the heel area. In addition to pain, inflammation develops, the tendon thickens, and it can feel stiff.
With an Achilles rupture, your tendon tears partially or completely. There are three grades of severity with tears:
Symptoms of a rupture include intense pain, severe swelling, and instability when walking or complete immobility. At the instant your injury occurs, you may hear a popping sound.
Talk to your student athlete about preparing properly for their school sports season. It may also be a smart move to have a conversation with their coach to ensure they’re aware of lowering risks for Achilles injuries. Good things to do include:
Have your student athlete play their sport a bit at home or with a group at a field or playground before school starts.
Achilles injuries are more likely to happen if your athlete starts intensely exercising all of a sudden, rather than gradually working up to what they’ll need to do once practice starts at school. The duration and intensity of workouts should progress gradually.
Make sure your child understands the importance of warming up before playing. Again, it’s safest to prep their body a bit before going all in and participating in grueling practices.
Even though they might have great passion for their sport, urge your athlete to take it easy between practices and games. That way their Achilles tendon can recover and doesn’t become stressed or overworked.
Student athletes should wear the right shoes for the sport they’re playing. Their footwear should provide good heel and arch support, as well as plenty of cushioning. You may want to talk to your Premier Foot & Ankle provider about whether orthotics (shoe inserts) could be useful.
Even though it may not be possible for your athlete to play on perfectly flat surfaces all the time, avoiding bumpy terrain lowers their likelihood of a calamity like an Achilles injury.
Stretching their Achilles tendon before and after exercising lowers your athlete’s risk of injury, as does performing strengthening exercises such as toe walking, seated calf raises, and reverse lunges.
Fluoroquinolone antibiotics, like Levaquin® and Cipro®, are associated with an increased risk of Achilles tendon rupture, so ask your doctor whether there’s an alternative for your child, and talk to your child’s coach if they must take one of these medications.
Thinking preventively can help your student athlete avoid Achilles tendon injuries, but if they do happen to experience one, we’re here with a diverse menu of treatments, including physical therapy, Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Treatment (EPAT®), and more. If necessary, we can provide surgical solutions as well.
Call one of our five convenient Texas Premier Foot & Ankle locations today to schedule an appointment for your student athlete, so they can shine brightly this year, or you can book an appointment online anytime.
