Common Tennis Foot & Ankle Injuries
Sports injuries aren’t really news anymore considering professional athletes are one of only five occupations that report over 1,000 injuries for every 10,000 workers. But even though the public sees sports injuries as common, that doesn’t lessen the severity of the injury or the life impact it can have on the athletes themselves.
Each year, the tennis tournament Wimbledon hosts over 600 players hoping to take home the championship title. Although the competition is canceled for 2020, these same players are home practicing to stay in shape for the next big tournament. However, for some of these athletes, injuries will hold them back.
Tennis players are at risk for any number of serious foot and ankle injuries.
Subungal Hematoma
This refers to the collection of blood under the toenail, which causes a black coloring almost like a bruise. While this is not a serious injury, it can be quite painful. A podiatrist can use a hot, sterilized tool to create a hole in the nail and allow the pooled blood to escape, relieving pressure and pain. A subungual hematoma without pain will generally solve itself when the toenail grows out over several months. This type of injury is most often caused by shoes that are too tight and don’t allow for proper movement of the toes.
Muscle Cramps
Everyone reading this has had a cramped muscle at some point in the past. Proper stretching before activity as well as maintaining proper hydration and nutrition is the best way to prevent cramps. If you do get a leg or foot cramp, make sure you immediately begin stretching the area to help relieve the tight muscle.
It may be necessary to remove shoes and socks to get to the painful area and provide a gentle massage with your hands and thumbs. Once the pain begins to lessen, put some weight on the injured foot or leg, and make sure you walk around and continue to use and stretch the area. This will help prevent the cramp from immediately returning.
Ankle Sprains
We’ve talked a lot about ankle sprains in the past so I won’t repeat myself too much, but the biggest thing about spraining your ankle is to rest it afterward. Use the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, elevation).
There are varying degrees of ankle sprains so you may want to visit your podiatrist if the pain persists for more than a day or two, during which time you should NOT overuse the affected ankle. If you try to walk off a sprain the way you walk off a cramp, you could end up injuring yourself further and be out for a whole season rather than just a couple of games.
Achilles Tendonitis
Tendonitis is an umbrella term used to describe inflammation of a tendon over a muscle or bone. Our tendons are what allow our bodies to stretch in the ways they do. When we overuse or overload these tendons, they tend to revolt against us in painful ways. With an Achilles tendon, this can be a big issue because it is one of the major tendons that enable everyday walking and running.
Treatment for Achilles tendonitis can usually be done at home, but only after consulting with your podiatrist first. If left untreated, tendonitis can lead to a full tendon rupture, which is definitely not going to get you back in the game anytime soon.
Heel Bruises
These are exactly what they sound like—a big, ugly, painful bruise on the back or bottom of your heel. Generally, the bruise will appear and grow slowly over time. As such, many tennis players ignore a heel bruise as a small problem that will go away easily. However, if a heel bruise is ignored, it can eventually alter the interior structure of the foot by flattening the fat pad under your heel causing more pain and longer recovery time. Better foot cushioning or padding for shoes can help prevent more occurrences of heel bruising.
This is just a small list of the many injuries that can affect tennis players and other athletes. Luckily, these common injuries are relatively easy to treat. The moral of the story is to listen to your feet; use proper pre- and post-care of your feet and legs; and if you do become injured, wait to go back into the game until you are completely healed. If you don’t, you may never make it to Wimbledon.
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