Sports Medicine for Active Feet

What You Need To Know

Sports injuries sideline you fast. Here’s how our podiatrists diagnose, treat, and prevent them.

When to See a Podiatrist for a Sports Injury

Podiatrists have advanced training in the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions affecting the lower leg, ankle, and foot. At Bay Area Foot Care, our team specializes in caring for athletes at every level, from professionals and high school competitors to weekend warriors, performing artists, and kids playing rec league or school sports.

You should see one of our podiatrists after a sports injury if you experience moderate or severe bruising, weakness in the leg or foot, pain or difficulty bearing weight, a feeling that your leg or ankle may give out, swelling, decreased range of motion, or persistent heel pain. Foot and ankle fractures always warrant prompt evaluation, even when the pain seems manageable.

For parents: kids and teens are not just small adults. Growing bodies have unique vulnerabilities, including growth plate injuries, Sever’s disease, and overuse issues from year-round travel teams. We see young athletes quickly, explain what’s happening in plain language, and help your child get back to practice safely. Also, children of all ages sometimes struggle to articulate that they are in pain, and occasionally will not mention any issues at all. If you notice a change in your child’s gait or that they are limping, you should bring them in. Our physicians have years of experience working with children and know how to ask the right questions and get the full picture.

We treat injuries to the lower leg, ankle, and foot, including foot and ankle fractures, ankle sprains (including high ankle sprains), muscle strains, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendon problems, leg cramps, shin splints, and flexor tendon injuries. Our specialists handle mild to severe injuries and provide fast, effective treatment so you can heal as quickly as possible. Your podiatrist can also help you choose the best shoes for your sport to reduce your risk of future injury.

What Treatment for Sports Injuries Looks Like

Because sports injuries vary widely in severity, we work with you to design a treatment plan based on your symptoms, diagnosis, and goals for returning to play. Recovery often blends passive therapies like ice, heat, shockwave therapy, MLS Laser Therapy, and taping with active rehab and physical therapy to speed up healing.

For fractures and other serious injuries, we treat the damage first, then rehab the surrounding muscles and joints to get you back to the gym, the field, or the studio. Athletes also receive help identifying and improving areas of weakness that may have contributed to the injury, which lowers the chance of recurrence.

Different sports and different ages place different demands on the foot and ankle. Runners face repeated impact on hard surfaces. Court sports involve sharp side-to-side cuts. Football, soccer, and basketball combine running, cutting, and contact. Young athletes and growing kids deal with overuse injuries and growth-related heel pain like Sever’s disease, especially during busy travel and rec league seasons. Whatever your sport or your child’s sport, proper footwear, smart training, and early evaluation of nagging issues are the best ways to stay healthy. When something does go wrong, we are here to help you recover and prevent it from happening again.