Did you know that almost 40% of all children, teenager and adolescent injuries are sports-related? Injuries in the young athlete are often trivialised. They are usually asked or encouraged to “toughen up and play through
the pain.”
Not the best approach
This approach is not in the young athlete’s best interest for the following reasons:
● It often leads to delayed healing and return to sports.
● It can turn an easily treatable injury into one that becomes difficult to treat.
● In some cases, it can result in a permanent injury that precludes sports participation.
Many adult foot ailments originate in childhood and often lead to problems in other parts of the body.
We treat conditions including
● Knee pain
● Leg pain – shin splints, muscle and tendon sprains or tears
● Fractures including stress fractures
● Ankle pain
● Foot pain
● Low back or groin pain
If your child has an injury then we will help them to overcome that injury. However, we acknowledge that it is far better to prevent an injury from occurring in the first place.
Assessing Adolescent Injuries
We often assess adolescent injuries by using video gait analysis on our treadmill. If appropriate, we can arrange analysis on site to simulate the normal conditions of the activity. Biomechanical evaluation may also be carried out. This measures the difference in angles and positions of your hips, legs and feet compared to normal.
Treatment Options
Treatment will depend on the diagnosis and cause of symptoms and may include:
● RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation)
● Ultrasound therapy
● Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs if indicated
● Advice on training, footwear and modification or adjustment of sporting equipment.
● Prescription orthotic therapy for biomechanical problems.
● Padding & Taping
● Stretching exercise programs.
● Advice on exercises to do at home to encourage quicker recovery.
● Training changes—depending on your activities the podiatrist may recommend modifications to a training regime. Return to activity should be supervised by a qualified person such as a podiatrist or experienced adolescent coach.
Useful links
If you or your child has had an injury to their foot, then you might need a bio-mechanical assessment to ensure you don't have further problems.