It’s that time of the year where everyone is trying to shed a few pounds from their holiday over eating. I tend to be a regular at the gym and in the last few days, as there are at the beginning of every year, there have been a lot of unfamiliar faces. What needs to be realized is that when you go from inactive to working out a lot, there is a high probability of injury to the foot and ankle.

Common injuries include stress fractures, sprains, and strains. A stress fracture is a type of fracture which cannot always be seen on x-ray that tends to occur in people that increase their activity level too quickly. Symptoms of this injury can include pin point tenderness over an area of bone (particularly seen in the metatarsals which are the long bones of the forefoot). Treatment can include special shoe gear as well as immobilization.

Sprains and strains of the foot and ankle are also seen in people who hit the gym after being sedentary for a long time. There are tons of muscles, tendons and ligaments in the foot and ankle that can easily be injured. Stretching before, during and after exercises is a great way to try and decrease the occurrence of these sprains and strains. Common symptoms of these include pain in the foot especially with range of motion (ie moving the toes/ ankle etc) Treatment of these include ice, elevation and possible immobilization of the affected body part. It is always important to have x-rays completed of the affected foot or ankle to rule out fracture or other causes of foot/ankle pain.

If you or anyone you know has any foot or ankle pain, contact Quality Foot Care at 215-230-9707 to schedule an appointment with your local podiatrists today!