Don't Let Kids Play Through Pain

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Sports medicine doctors have a warning for children who play competitive sports and their parents: When it comes to foot and ankle injuries, playing through the pain can lead to long-term problems.

As more and more kids get involved in high-level competitive sports, like tennis, soccer, gymnastics, track and field, volleyball and golf, sports medicine physicians are seeing more and more foot and ankle injuries at younger and younger ages, reports Robert J. Duggan, D.P.M., a leading sports medicine expert with the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

"I'm treating chronic heel injuries in pre-teen athletes, where a few years ago we saw these cases only among 16- and 17-year-olds," reports Dr. Duggan. "When the level of competition intensifies, so do the stresses on the feet and ankles and ultimately, injuries."

Children who ignore these injuries or don't complete the full round of rehabilitation recommended by their doctors can end up with foot and ankle problems that persist well into their teenage years and beyond.

The good news is, in most cases, these injuries can be effectively treated without surgery. Dr. Duggan notes doctors may simply immobilize the foot and then follow up with aggressive physical therapy to get the injured foot or ankle back into prime playing condition.

"With the diagnostic tools available to foot and ankle surgeons, and knowledge of the demands of the child's sport, we can make a decision on whether surgery's necessary, and in many cases, avoid it altogether," reports the podiatrist.

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SOURCE: Presented at the 65th Annual Scientific Conference of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeon in Orlando, Fla., March 14-18, 2007