Sports-related injuries are part of the game, and as athletes are becoming stronger, faster, and better conditioned, higher-energy injuries are becoming common. Foot and ankle injuries are especially concerning because they are increasing in number and severity and are often misunderstood.

– According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, football-related toe, foot and ankle injuries, have been rising since 2003. In that year, there were approximately 49,000 toe, foot and ankle injuries related to football, compared to 2007, which included 62,000 injuries.

“Foot and ankle injuries are frequently designated as a ‘sprain,’ which often minimizes the severity of the injury to the athlete, parent, coaches, and fans. A healthy foot is obviously necessary for running and push-off, and the biomechanics of this part of the body are quite intricate.

These seemingly simple sprains can be devastating to the running athlete, often requiring an extended period of time to recover,” Read more at www.medicalnewstoday.com

Orthotics are shoe inserts that are intended to correct an abnormal, or irregular, walking pattern. Orthotics are not truly or solely “arch supports,” although some people use those words to describe them, and they perhaps can best be understood with those words in mind. They perform functions that make standing, walking, and running more comfortable and efficient by altering slightly the angles at which the foot strikes a walking or running surface.

Doctors of podiatric medicine prescribe orthotics as a conservative approach to many foot problems or as a method of control after certain types of foot surgery; their use is a highly successful, practical treatment form.

Orthotics take various forms and are constructed of various materials. All are concerned with improving foot function and minimizing stress forces that could ultimately cause foot deformity and pain. Read more at www.apma.org

You may sacrifice comfort for fashionable shoes, but you could be damaging your feet.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says the following problems can result from wearing shoes that are too snug:

Hammertoes. Bunions. Calluses. Corns. Read more at www.nlm.nih.gov

After the game, Favre was said to be moving slowly in the Vikings‘ press room, the result of pain in his surgically repaired left ankle.

It turns out that it’s a problem that Favre will have to deal with all season.

Favre told Sports Illustrated’s Peter King that he got an injection into that ankle after Saturday’s win over Seattle. Favre called it “like a grease fitting,” and said all he can do is try to manage the pain. When he went back to see Dr. James Andrews before making his decision to play in 2010, Favre told King a new “significant” bone spur was discovered in the ankle. Favre said it wasn’t a surprise that the spur was there, but it was a surprise it developed so quickly after the May 22 surgery. Read more at nfl.fanhouse.com

Heel pain is generally the result of faulty biomechanics (walking gait abnormalities) that place too much stress on the heel bone and the soft tissues that attach to it. The stress may also result from injury, or a bruise incurred while walking, running, or jumping on hard surfaces; wearing poorly constructed footwear; or being overweight.

The heel bone is the largest of the 26 bones in the human foot, which also has 33 joints and a network of more than 100 tendons, muscles, and ligaments. Like all bones, it is subject to outside influences that can affect its integrity and its ability to keep us on our feet. Heel pain, sometimes disabling, can occur in the front, back, or bottom of the heel.

Heel Spurs

A common cause of heel pain is the heel spur, a bony growth on the underside of the heel bone. The spur, visible by X-ray, appears as a protrusion that can extend forward as much as half an inch.Read more at www.apma.org

A bout of exercise can worsen the aches of American military veterans suffering from chronic musculoskeletal pain, a small new study shows,

But researchers say that it’s only temporary.

Long-term exercise, they stress, can help reduce veterans’ chronic pain.

About 100,000 veterans from the first Gulf War war have reported chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) similar to fibromyalgia. The researchers used heat to test the pain sensitivity of 15 Gulf War veterans with CMP and 17 healthy veterans of that war after a workout. Compared to the healthy participants, veterans with CMP found the heat stimuli to be more intense and unpleasant.

The vets with CMP also reported more intense leg pain during exercise and were more sensitive to the heat stimuli after the bout of exercise than they were before it. However, there were no significant differences in the pain threshold between vets with CMP and healthy vets. Read more at www.nlm.nih.gov

From ancient Egyptian times down through the centuries, footwear has been designed to meet mankind’s real and perceived needs—protection, support, comfort, sturdiness, and stylishness.

Feet endure tremendous pressures of daily living. An average day of walking brings a force equal to several hundred tons on them. They are subject to more injury than any other part of the body, underscoring the need to protect them with proper footwear.

Doctors of podiatric medicine are health care professionals trained for both palliative and surgical care of the foot and ankle. They also are fully qualified to recommend selection of the right pair of shoes, or address other aspects of foot health, for all members of the family.

Children’s Shoes

When a child begins to walk, shoes generally are not necessary.  Allowing an infant to go barefooted indoors, or to wear only a pair of socks, helps the foot grow normally and develop its muscles and strength, as well as the grasping ability of toes. Read more at www.apma.org

Foot pain began affecting Donna’s tennis game, and she was determined not to let it keep her from the sport she loved.

The 47-year-old avid tennis player from Arizona tried to play through the pain and rest her feet between matches. But when the pain became too much, and even started affecting her everyday activities, she made an appointment with a foot and ankle surgeon. His diagnosis: Donna was suffering from plantar fasciitis and a neuroma.

According to Donna’s doctor, Kris DiNucci, DPM, FACFAS, a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, the conditions plaguing her are common among court-playing athletes. “Because playing tennis requires quick, repetitive foot movements and continuous forefoot pressure, neuromas, (a thickening of the nerve tissue in the foot from compression) are common,” DiNucci says.

“In addition, those same movements can cause athletes to develop plantar fasciitis, Read more at www.medicalnewstoday.com

Foot and ankle emergencies happen every day. Broken bones, dislocations, sprains, contusions, infections, and other serious injuries can occur at any time. Early attention is vitally important. Whenever you sustain a foot or ankle injury, you should seek immediate treatment from a podiatric physician.

This advice is universal, even though there are lots of myths about foot and ankle injuries. Some of them follow:

Myths

“It can’t be broken, because I can move it.” False; this widespread idea has kept many fractures from receiving proper treatment. The truth is that often you can walk with certain kinds of fractures. Some common examples: Breaks in the smaller, outer bone of the lower leg, small chip fractures of either the foot or ankle bones, and the often neglected fracture of the toe.

“If you break a toe, immediate care isn’t necessary.” False; a toe fracture needs prompt Read more at www.apma.org

Older women who suffered bone fractures earlier in life may be at higher risk for osteoporosis today, a new study suggests.

When these women develop osteoporosis, their loss in health-related quality of life becomes similar to that experienced by people with arthritis, lung disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases, said the international team of researchers.

The findings are from the Global Longitudinal Study of Osteoporosis in Women (GLOW), led by the University of Massachusetts Medical School. It includes women in 10 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The team interviewed 60,000 women over the age of 55. They found that 90 percent of those with fractures suffered more pain, depression, mobility problems, or anxiety. Spine, hip, and upper leg fractures resulted in the greatest decrease in quality of life. Read more at www.nlm.nih.gov

Last week, 30 Oregon high school football players came down with a rare muscle condition called compartment syndrome.

This is pretty remarkable given that many doctors can go years — even a career — without ever seeing someone with compartment syndrome. To have 30 boys develop it all at the same time — in the same city — is unheard of.

Compartment syndrome is usually caused by injury to muscle. It most commonly occurs in the leg or forearm.

Muscles in the arms and legs are divided into sections — or compartments — with borders made of strong, tough connective tissue. When injury leads to severe swelling, the pressure has nowhere to go. As the pressure builds in the muscle, it cuts off the blood supply, leading to death of the muscle cells.

Pain is obviously intense. Read more at blogs.webmd.com

It was grim news for VT Football fans when they heard Nick Becton, starting left tackle, sprained one of his right toes. He is going to be on the sidelines for an undetermined amount of time and there is no guarantee he will be able to be back on the field for Sept. 6th – the big season opener against Boise State.

For those of you thinking – “Toe sprain? He’s seriously out for that? Walk it off man!” Here’s the definition of a “sprained toe” according to Aurora Health Care. “A toe sprain is caused by a partial tear of the ligaments that support a toe. Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that connect bones to each other.” Now it sounds a little more serious than you thought, huh?

Toe sprains can be caused by any number of things, from stubbing your toe to suddenly stopping a run and causing your toe to jam into the front of your shoe. Read more at blacksburgfoot.blogspot.com

The approval of febuxostat, a non-purine-analogue inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, by the European Medicines Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration heralds a new era in the treatment of gout. The use of modified uricases to rapidly reduce serum urate concentrations in patients with otherwise untreatable gout is progressing. Additionally, advances in our understanding of the transport of uric acid in the renal proximal tubule and the inflammatory response to monosodium urate crystals are translating into potential new treatments. In this Review, we focus on the clinical trials of febuxostat. We also review results from studies of pegloticase, a pegylated uricase in development, and we summarise data for several other pipeline drugs for gout, such as the selective uricosuric drug RDEA594 and various interleukin-1 inhibitors. Read more at www.thelancet.com

SATURDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) — Protecting your knees when you’re younger may help prevent serious problems such as arthritis and the need for knee replacement when you’re older, an expert advises.

Research indicates that nearly half of adults develop arthritis in at least one knee by age 85, and the risk is even greater for obese people. Extra pounds increase the strain on knee joints, noted Dr. William J. Bryan, an orthopedic surgeon at the Methodist Center for Sports Medicine in Houston.

Orthotics may also help protect your knees. Your knees can be subjected to abnormal stress if your shoes don’t give you a stable base as you walk. Many patients experience dramatic reductions in knee pain after getting orthotics or shoes specifically made to fit their feet, according to Bryan. Read more at www.businessweek.com

Aug. 17, 2010 — Overweight children who are at risk for developing diabetes before puberty also face greater odds for having weak bones, a new study indicates.

Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia studied 140 children between the ages of 7 and 11 who got little regular exercise and found that 30% showed signs of poor blood sugar regulation and 4% to 5% less bone mass, which is a measure of bone strength.

The researchers say their new study is the first to suggest a link between weaker bones and childhood risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes, which is associated with inactivity and obesity, is becoming more common in kids. Type 1 diabetes is associated with poor bone health and is thought to be caused by genetic and environmental factors.

Norman Pollock, PhD, a bone biologist at Medical College of Georgia’s Georgia Prevention Institute, says the new study “provides the first clue linking childhood obesity to skeletal fractures.” Read more at children.webmd.com

After wearing flip-flops all summer, students head back to school with painful feet

The sounds of back to school season include the ringing of school bells and cash registers, the slamming of locker doors, the noisy ruckus of school hallways and cafeterias, and the moans and groans of students over tests, homework, relationships, and increasingly, their aching feet.

Flip-flops are the summer footwear of choice for many students. But while these sandals are inexpensive and stylish, they don’t cushion or support the foot, leading to problems. After wearing flip-flops all summer, some students will head back to school this fall with foot pain and even injuries. The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) reminds parents and students that foot pain isn’t normal and can be reduced or eliminated. Read more at www.foothealthfacts.org

Walking to school may help reduce children’s stress throughout the day, the results of a new study suggest.

This reduction in stress reactivity could prevent increases in heart rate and blood pressure that can lead to cardiovascular disease later in life, explained the University at Buffalo researchers.

The study included 20 girls and 20 boys, aged 10 to 14, who underwent testing in a behavioral research laboratory. Half the children took a simulated ride to school — they sat in comfortable chairs and watched a 10-minute slide show that included images of a suburban neighborhood and ended with an image of a suburban school.

The other children did a one-mile walk on a treadmill at a self-selected pace and wore a book bag that contained 10 percent of their body weight. As they walked on the treadmill, the children saw images of a suburban neighborhood on a screen. Read more at www.nlm.nih.gov

Cases of heel pain surge in summer, when people wear flimsy shoes like flip flops and run more than usual on hard surfaces, leading to plantar fasciitis.

•Avoid very high heels and shoes with no support.

•Maintain a healthy weight.

•Don’t go barefoot on hard surfaces.

•Warm up before activity.

•Change your running shoes after about 500 miles. Worn-out shoes lack support.

Prevention Read more at www.dailyherald.com

Before you head to the store to buy your kids shoes, follow these helpful guidelines to prevent or minimize foot problems from poorly fitting or worn out shoes.

Shoes should fit

Your child’s feet can grow up to two sizes in six months, so you need to account for growth when buying shoes. That doesn’t mean you should buy shoes that are too big—oversized shoes cause the foot to slide forward, putting excessive pressure on the toes. A good fit is about a finger’s width from the end of the shoe to the tip of the big toe.

Tight shoes can cause blisters, corns and calluses on your child’s toes, blisters on the back of the heels or worse, ingrown nails, which can become infected. Signs of infection from ingrown nails include pain, redness or fluid draining from the area. If you notice any of these symptoms, schedule an appointment with a foot and ankle surgeon, who can perform a simple, safe in-office procedure to remove the nail. Read more at www.foothealthfacts.org

Aug. 11, 2010 — Pro golfer Phil Mickelson recently announced that he is being treated for psoriatic arthritis. According to media reports, he first developed symptoms right before the U.S. Open, and the pain quickly became so intense that he couldn’t walk.

To find out more about psoriatic arthritis and how it could have affected Mickelson’s game, WebMD spoke with rheumatologist Stephen A. Paget, MD, of the Inflammatory Arthritis Center at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and his colleague Brian Halpern, MD, a sports medicine doctor. Neither of the doctors has treated Mickelson.

What is psoriatic arthritis and who is at risk of developing it?

Paget: Psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system misfires against its own joints and tendons, causing inflammation and pain. People with psoriatic arthritis may also have psoriasis, an inflammatory skin disease.Read more at arthritis.webmd.com

Parents and coaches should think twice before coaxing young, injury-prone soccer players to “play through” foot and ankle pain, according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

“Skeletally immature kids, starting and stopping and moving side to side on cleats that are little more than moccasins with spikes–-that’s a recipe for foot and ankle sprains and worse,” cautions Christopher Hendrix, DPM, FACFAS, a Memphis, Tenn. foot and ankle surgeon.

“Kids will play with lingering, nagging heel pain that, upon testing, turns out to be a stress fracture that neither they, their parents nor their coaches were aware of,” he said. “By playing with pain, they can’t give their team 100 percent and make their injuries worse, which prolongs their time out of soccer.”

Hendrix said he has actually had to show parents x-rays of fractures before they’ll take their kids out of the game. “And stress fractures can be subtle–-they don’t always show up on initial x-rays.” Read more at www.foothealthfacts.org

Bethesda, MD – As parents and children commence the annual hunt for deals on back-to-school items, shopping for healthy shoes should top the “must-buy” list for more important reasons than just a fashionable new look. According to the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), well-fitting shoes not only reduce the instance of foot and ankle injuries in kids, but they also encourage physical activity, helping to decrease the likelihood of childhood obesity.

“If a child’s feet hurt, they will be far less likely to participate in outdoor sports and other activities that keep them moving and physically fit,” said APMA President Kathleen M. Stone, DPM. “With childhood obesity considered an epidemic today, it is vital that parents take just a few moments during this busy back-to-school shopping season to select a shoe that provides adequate support and fits properly. It is one of the easiest ways to keep a child pain-free and healthy.” Read more at www.apma.org

A stress fracture is an overuse injury that usually occurs from exercise, such as running.

Fatigued muscles after a while aren’t able to absorb the stress of a certain activity, so the bone begins to absorb the impact, resulting in a tiny fracture.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggests how to help a stress fracture heal:

Take a break from the exercise or activity that triggered the stress fracture. Generally, healing takes about six to eight weeks. If possible, limit yourself to light activity that doesn’t cause pain for your particular fracture. Using a brace or shoe insert may help speed healing. Don’t resume the activity too early, as re-injuring the area could cause an even larger, longer-lasting problem. Read more at www.nlm.nih.gov

Being treated by a podiatrist helps diabetes patients reduce their risk of amputation, research shows.

Podiatrists, also called podiatric physicians, are medical specialists of the foot, ankle and lower leg.

“More than half of all amputations in the U.S. are related to diabetes. Podiatrists are detecting conditions that can lead to amputation. That’s just what we do,” study co-author Dr. James Wrobel, an associate professor of medicine at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, said in a university news release.Read more at www.nlm.nih.gov

SAN DIEGO, Aug 02, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) – PURE Bioscience /quotes/comstock/15*!pure/quotes/nls/pure (PURE 2.58, +0.01, +0.39%) today announced that based on encouraging preclinical data it has granted two product-specific licenses to pharmaceutical development partner FTA Bioscience for development of a silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC)-based treatment for tinea unguium, also referred to as onychomycosis (nail fungus), as well as for tinea pedis (athlete’s foot).

PURE Bioscience’s President and CEO, Michael L. Krall, said, “The team at FTA has invested significant time and resources into formulation development of SDC into topical fungal products, and we are certainly pleased with the results.Read more at www.marketwatch.com