sports

Cycling

Cycling demands a lot from the legs and feet. Not just because of the forces involved, but because of the repetition: knee flexion and extension (for an average cyclist) occurs about 4800 times an hour at an average of 80 revolutions per minute. And race cyclist do considerably more.

Soft tissues and joints of the lower limbs are, therefore, susceptible to repetitive stress and injury.

Common injuries

Most cycling injuries develop when soft tissue (muscle, tendon, fascia and ligament) is damaged from repetitive stress that occurs quicker than the body’s ability to repair it. Common problems include injuries to the knee, thigh, hamstrings, ankles and toes.

To minimise the problems, it’s important that a cyclist’s foot sits straight on the pedals, and the heel sits directly under the ankle, so the downward force from the leg is centred on the foot on the pedal.  If you have a low arched or high arched foot then you may be more likely to develop problems, because these conditions can disturb the alignment of the leg and increase stress at the joints.

Footwear

Shoes are very important, too.  For the casual or recreational cyclist, a typical athletic shoe used for running, walking, or cross-training is perfectly fine for biking, as long as the sole is firm so that it grips the pedal properly. Devices such as toe clips, or placing insoles within the shoe can be used to improve the foot position and stabilise the foot on the pedal.  This may help to improve leg position leading to greater comfort and increased power when cycling.

For more serious cyclists, shoes should have a stiff sole and a good fit – the more you can reduce movement inside the shoe, the more power can be transferred to the pedal. Also look for shoes with ventilated uppers to keep feet more comfortable.

Handy tip: remember to take the socks you plan to wear with you when trying on cycling shoes to make sure the fit is right.

Football

Football can place a great deal of stress on the foot and the more you play, the higher the stress. There can be a lot of friction involved, particularly when playing on surfaces such as astroturf. A player often stops suddenly and twists and turns.

Likewise, when playing on hard ground the studs can result in pressure to the sole of the foot. Football boots can also be quite stressful on the feet, particularly as most players wear a tight fit for better ball control. It is not uncommon for a footballer to suffer with pressure points, corns, callus or ingrowing toenails as a result of football boots. This is particularly damaging for those who are still growing.

Foot problems?

There’s a big difference between muscular aches from a hard session and pain that reoccurs after every training session or game, or even pain that is gradually getting worse. In these situations, it is best to consult a specialist with a special interest in leg/foot biomechanics and musculoskeletal problems.

Any signs of pressure such as redness, blisters, hard skin or extra bone developing (osteophytic formation) definitely needs assessing by a professional. Areas to check are around the back of the heel, the toes and the base of the big toe joint.

Tips for maintaining healthy feet for football:

• Maintain good foot hygiene – essential to prevent a number of foot problems such as bacterial, fungal or viral infection.
• Stay flexible – flexibility, which can be important in keeping a good posture, helps maintain a wide range of motion at all joints and prevent injury.
• Stay balanced – good balance and awareness is essential for football. This can be improved by increasing the communication between the feet and the nervous system (brain). This is referred to as ‘proprioception’ and can be improved with the use of orthotics for those with flat feet.
• Wear well-fitting boots – a good, well-fitting pair of football boots is essential. There shouldn’t be any signs of pressure on the foot after a game or training session. A pair of flip flops is recommended if using communal changing areas and showers, as this can prevent picking up any infections that can cause unnecessary problems.

Golf

Any golf professional will tell you that problems with the feet, even a painful corn or callus, can impede timing and balance to the point where it affects the scorecard at the end of the day. So, if a round of golf is painful on the feet, you need to find out why.

The place to start is with the quality of your shoes. Any time pain is not adequately resolved with good, stable golf shoes and is present for more than two or three consecutive rounds, it’s time to visit a foot specialist. They can diagnose and treat any problems and help make your feet an asset, not a liability, to your golf game.

Causes of injury

Typically, golf players can sustain injuries because of biomechanical imbalances which overload certain structures, and predispose the golfer to overuse of muscles and unnecessary strain on ligaments and tendons.  In these cases, orthoses will equalise the weight load on the lower extremity and in essence rest the overused muscle.

Other problems, such as tendinitis, capsulitis, and ligament sprains and pulls can also keep a golf enthusiast in the clubhouse. Improper shoes can bring on blisters, neuromas (inflamed nerve endings) and other pains in the feet. Podiatrists see these problems daily and can treat them conservatively to allow for a quick return to the sport.

The importance of footwear

Once largely driven by fashion, golf shoes were wing-tip oxfords with spikes. Today, shoes are constructed using basic principles of athletic footwear. Some even incorporate advanced technological innovations such as graphite shank reinforcements, which keep them light and add strength. For golf, you shouldn’t wear shoes that wouldn’t be comfortable if you were taking a good long walk. To make sure they fit well when purchasing, try them on with the same socks you’ll wear on the course.

And remember – if you get injured, participation is no substitute for rehabilitation. Injured body parts must be thoroughly treated and rehabilitated to meet the full demands of golf or any other sport. If you are injured, your return should be gradual. As much as you may want to get back to your game, take it slowly.

Running and jogging

Our feet absorb more force during running than any other part of the body. Our feet propel us. Our feet have the absolute power to make running comfortable – or miserable. Our feet ache, blister, sweat, crack, peel, itch and smell. Our feet are essential. So why is it that so few runners give their feet proper care? We stretch our hamstrings, tighten our stomachs and carbo-load our muscles, but barely pay any attention at all to our feet.

This is especially misguided when you consider that, after the knee, the foot is the most frequently injured body part. What’s more, foot anomalies can lead to pain and injury of the shins, knees, hips and lower back, making us injury-prone when we really shouldn’t be.

So, what should runners do to take proper care of their feet? Here are some pointers:

Find the perfect fit

Proper shoe selection is vital to foot health – not merely the shoe brand and model, but the fit. Bad shoe fit can cause a multitude of problems for your feet, everything from numbness and burning to blisters and painful calluses. Shoes that are too short can cause black toenails. Shoes that are too narrow in the forefoot can cause pinched-nerve pain, bunions, corns or calluses. Shoes that are too wide allow the foot to slide around, which causes undue friction, which in turn can lead to blisters. It’s not easy to get the right fit. But it’s essential that you do. And, even when you do get the right fit, don’t forget that shoes shrink over time, particularly if you get them wet often (either from excessive sweat or precipitation). And while your shoes are shrinking, your feet are getting bigger and wider. Not overnight, mind you, but over the years your feet can expand two full sizes or more. Which is why you should be measured every time you buy shoes.

A tip: If you run every day, invest in multiple pairs of running shoes so you always have a dry pair. And pay attention to the condition of your shoes, especially the midsole, the section between the outer tread and the “upper” that your foot fits into. If the midsole is compressed, brittle or feels unusually hard, it’s probably worn out. If so, don’t use the shoes for running. Gardening maybe, but not running.

Take care about socks

Ill-fitting socks are one of the primary causes of blisters. Wet socks and cotton socks can also cause blistering. Fortunately, socks cost significantly less than shoes, so you can probably afford to experiment. But do make sure you try on socks with your running shoes, and keep in mind that the pair that works well in a summer 5K may not provide the same comfort during a marathon or keep your feet warm in winter.

Soften your skin

Some runners are particularly prone to dry feet, which invariably leads to painful cracking feet. The solution: use a moisturiser every day. Rub it into the skin until your feet feel soft and smooth. The best time to moisturise your feet is immediately after a bath or shower.

Keep them dry

Some people suffer from dry feet, while others suffer from sweaty, wet feet, which makes them more prone to athlete’s foot and other fungal problems. Keeping your feet dry isn’t easy, as you have approximately 125,000 sweat glands in each foot, and each foot can produce 4 ounces of moisture a day.

For this problem, lightweight, breathable, moisture-wicking socks are the way to go. But you’ll also have a moisture problem in winter if you slog through slush, snow and puddles too often. Again, moisture-wicking socks will help, along with a pair of waterproof trail-running shoes. As always, make sure your shoes are dry before wearing them again. And never wear damp socks.

Fight that fungus

Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that causes itchy scaling, redness and blisters on the toes and soles of the feet. It hurts, too. Athlete’s foot and other foot fungi thrive in dark, moist areas, which is why keeping your feet clean and dry is the best prevention. Other preventive measures: change your socks often, use antiperspirants on your feet and wear flip-flops in public changing rooms.

Practice damage control

It’s the old story: If you attend to a foot problem right away – be it a blister, callus or tender area–chances are good it won’t develop into something debilitating.

Tennis

Tennis can put an extraordinary amount of stress on the feet. There are five primary foot movements responsible for this:

• Short sprints (typically less than 10 – 15 feet in distance) produce shear stress that can lead to blistering and damage to the fat pads.
• Short jumps and hops produce impact and shear stress, resulting in potential trauma to the feet, including stress fractures, bruising, blistering and forefoot pain.
• Lateral movements such as shuffle steps, slides, crossover steps and sideways sprints produce the potential for strains and sprains, shear stress on feet and skin/soft tissue trauma.
• Pivots and rapid directional changes increase shear stress on the feet and may produce soft tissue trauma and increase the risk of  strains and sprains.
• Lunging / extending produces strong impact on the forefoot and heel, shear stress on soft tissues, trauma to the feet and potential muscle strains.

Of course, the surface on which you play has a big influence on the amount of stress on the feet. But, whichever surface you’re playing on, footwear has an important role in keeping your feet healthy.

Tips for choosing tennis footwear

• Choose tennis footwear that is appropriate for the surface on which you will be playing (clay, grass, synthetic, and paved or hard composition surfaces are the most common).
• If you have had previous ankle injuries or are inclined to twist or sprain your ankles, choose shoes with good ankle support.
• For optimal protection, use an integrated approach – use padded socks with your shoes, and any inserts or orthotics prescribed or recommended by a doctor or foot health professional.

Walking

Most would agree that walking is the safest, easiest form of exercise, yet – each year – thousands of walkers are hobbled as a result of a walking-induced pain or a nagging old exercise injury that walking has aggravated.

Here are some of the most common walking pains.

Plantar fasciitis

The plantar fascia is the band of tissue that runs from your heel bone to the ball of your foot. When this dual-purpose shock absorber and arch support is strained, small tears develop and the tissue stiffens as a protective response, causing foot pain. You know you have plantar fasciitis if you feel pain in your heel or arch first thing in the morning, because the fascia stiffens during the night. If the problem is left untreated, it can cause a build-up of calcium, which may create a painful, bony growth around the heel known as a heel spur.

Ingrown toenail

Toe pain can develop when the corners or sides of your toenails grow sideways rather than forward, putting pressure on surrounding soft tissues and even growing into the skin. You may be more likely to develop ingrown toenails if your shoes are too short or too tight, which causes repeated trauma to the toe as you walk. If the excess pressure goes on too long, such as during a long hike or charity walk, bleeding could occur under the nail and your toenail might eventually fall off.

Bunion

A bunion develops when the bones in the joint on the outer side of the big or little toe become misaligned, forming a painful swelling. Walkers with flat feet, low arches, or arthritis may be more apt to develop bunions.

Achilles tendonitis

The Achilles tendon, which connects your calf muscle to your heel, can be irritated by walking too much, especially if you don’t build up to it. Repeated flexing of the foot when walking up and down steep hills or on uneven terrain can also strain the tendon, triggering lower leg pain.

Neuroma

If tissue surrounding a nerve near the base of the toes thickens, it can cause tingling, numbness, or pain that radiates to surrounding areas. It may feel as though you’re treading on a marble. This condition, known as Morton’s neuroma, frequently develops between the base of the third and fourth toes. It’s up to 10 times more common in women than men, possibly because women’s feet are structured differently and because they  tend to wear narrow, high shoes or very flat ones.

Shin splints

Your shins have to bear up to 6 times your weight while you exercise, so foot-pounding activities like walking and running can cause problems for the muscles and surrounding tissues and create inflammation. The strain and leg pain results from strong calves pulling repeatedly on weaker muscles near the shin. Spending too many hours walking on concrete can also lead to this sort of inflammation. Severe or pinpointed pain in the shin could also be a stress fracture of the tibia.

Stress fracture

If you feel tenderness or pain when you press on a specific spot on your foot or lower leg, you may have a stress fracture—a tiny crack in a bone. Most common in the lower leg, they tend to occur when your leg muscles become overloaded from repetitive stress because the shock is absorbed by the bone, rather than the muscle. This can happen if you ignore a shin splint, for instance, because the continued strain on muscles and tissues will eventually shift to the bone. Walking is more likely to lead to a stress fracture if you walk for too long without building up to it, especially if you have high arches or rigid, flat feet. Women may be more vulnerable because their lower muscle mass and bone density don’t always act as adequate shock absorbers.