Ankle and sports injury treatments in Calgary
North Hill Foot & Ankle Clinic frequently works with athletes of all types, from professionals to weekend warriors. We offer treatment for a variety of sports injuries, including foot and ankle injuries, in Calgary. Sports activities can often lead to a variety of foot disorders, all of which can be assessed and treated by our staff. Injuries can happen to anyone while playing. Whether your sport is hockey, running, basketball, or football, our North Hill Foot & Ankle Clinic team will help get you back in the game with the appropriate diagnosis and care.
Effective Prevention of Sports Injuries
Taking a few precautions always helps check either a sports injury itself or, at least, its impact. These include:
- Training and exercises specific to the sport
- Wearing the right gear for the particular sporting activity
- Being thoroughly aware of the rules and techniques of the respective sport
- Being mindful of one’s overall health condition before deep-diving into a game or activity
- Getting enough rest, especially when one is tired or experiences pain already
Sports Injuries
An injury to the body can change our lives significantly. While some accidents are sudden, many injuries may be waiting to happen. For example, the wrong training and equipment, structural anomalies, weak muscles, ligaments and tendons, one’s own history of injuries, and harmful exercise practices such as overtraining, not taking a 24 - 48 hour break between workouts, and inadequate warm-up and stretching are common causes of sports injuries.
Underlying conditions, including plantar fasciitis, cavus foot, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, flat feet, hormones, or simply dehydration, also contribute to some people being more vulnerable to injury than others who are otherwise healthy.
At North Hill Foot & Ankle Clinic in Calgary, we understand that you want to return to your normal fitness and skill level as soon as you can and go back to your favourite sport. We help you through the difficult period of injury, beginning with a thorough clinical assessment.
Ankle Injuries
It is very common for ankle injuries to occur during sports activities. However, this is not the only thing that can cause them. Walking on an uneven surface, wearing high-heeled shoes, loose-fitting clogs or sandals can all force the ankle into an unnatural position which could lead to an ankle injury. Sprains and other ankle injuries occur when the ankle is twisted too far out of its normal position.
Types of Ankle Injuries
There are a few different types of injuries that can occur when the ankle is twisted or rolled. Both ligaments and tendons are major parts of the ankle joint and either can be hurt during an ankle injury. Ligaments are the strong, elastic bands of connective tissue that keep the bones of the ankle joint in place, while tendons are what attaches the muscles to the bones in order for the muscles to do the work of moving the foot and ankle. Ankle injuries are different depending on whether there is damage to the ligaments or tendons:
- Ankle Sprain – This type of injury occurs when there is damage to the ligaments because they have been stretched beyond their normal range of motion. A sprain can be many microscopic tears in the fibers of the ligament or a complete tear or rupture.
- Ankle Strain – This type of injury occurs when there is damage to the muscles and tendons because they have been pulled or stretched too far.
Diagnose and Treat Fractures Effectively
Fractures to the ankle and foot bones are common injuries that result in a partial or complete break in the bone. They can often occur from being in a car accident or from the ankle rolling inward or outward. A severe break in the bone may require surgery to implant plates, rods, or screws that will keep the bones in the proper position during healing.
Ways to Prevent Ankle Injuries
A sprained or injured ankle not only causes discomfort but also limits your mobility. Some of the ways to avoid ankle injuries include:
- Proper warm-up prior to exercising
- Wearing well fit shoes
- Exercising additional care while walking, especially on uneven surfaces
- Practising balance exercises
Contact Us in Case of Ankle Injury Treatment
It is possible to mistake a fracture in the ankle for a sprain or strain, but these two injuries are very different and require different treatments. It is very important with any sports injury or ankle injury, that you get an early diagnosis so proper treatment can begin. If you have injured your ankle, contact North Hill Foot & Ankle Clinic for proper diagnosis and treatment if you have sustained an ankle injury in Calgary.
