6 Tips To Protect Kids in Fall Sports

Back-to-school sports season linked to ankle injuries


If your children are playing sports this fall, pay attention to five tips that could protect them from serious ankle injuries.


Every fall, foot and ankle surgeon Thomas Carr, DPM, notices an increase in ankle injuries among young athletes. Football, soccer and basketball are the sports most likely to lead to sprains, broken bones and other problems, he says. Dr. Carr has office in Chicago.


Dr. Carr's top recommendation is for parents is to get ankle injuries treated right away.


"What seems like a sprain is not always a sprain; in addition to cartilage injuries, your son or daughter might have injured other bones in the foot without knowing it. Have a qualified doctor examine the injury," says Dr. Carr. "The sooner rehabilitation starts, the sooner we can prevent long-term problems like instability or arthritis, and the sooner your child can get back into competition."


Dr. Carr says parents should also follow these additional tips from the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons' Web site, FootPhysicians.com:

• Have old sprains checked by a doctor before the season starts. A medical check-up can reveal whether your child's previously injured ankle might be vulnerable to sprains, and could possibly benefit from wearing a supportive ankle brace during competition.



• Buy the right shoe for the sport. Different sports require different shoe gear. Players shouldn't mix baseball cleats with football shoes.



• Children should start the season with new shoes. Old shoes can wear down like a car tire and become uneven on the bottom, causing the ankle to tilt because the foot can't lie flat.



• Check playing fields for dips, divots and holes. Most sports-related ankle sprains are caused by jumping and running on uneven surfaces. That's why some surgeons recommend parents walk the field, especially when children compete in non-professional settings like public parks, for spots that could catch a player's foot and throw them to the ground. Alert coaching officials to any irregularities.



• Encourage stretching and warm-up exercises. Calf stretches and light jogging before competition helps warm up ligaments and blood vessels, reducing the risk for ankle injuries.

Dr. Carr can be contacted at www.chicagopodiatry.com.

Women's Feet Hurt More in Autumn

Autumn is a painful time of year for many women.

As they transition from open-toed sandals to closed-in boots and shoes, foot and ankle surgeon Thomas Carr, DPM, says he notices more women seeking relief for painful bunions. Dr. Carr has office in Chicago. He says this trend plays out in the examining rooms of many foot and ankle surgeons every autumn.

"Some of my female bunion patients are in agony," says Dr. Carr. "They describe a constant, throbbing pain, even when they take their shoes off."

While the changing weather brings more bunion patients into his office, Dr. Carr says some women inquire about surgery in the fall because they're less busy than in summer months. Many are also closer to meeting their insurance deductibles.

Dr. Carr emphasizes that surgery is a last-resort treatment for women with painful bunions.

"For many women, simple changes like wearing shoes with wider toe boxes can significantly reduce bunion pain," he says. "Custom shoe inserts, gel- or foam-filled padding and anti-inflammatory medications may also provide pain relief."

When the pain of a bunion interferes with a woman's daily activities, it's time to discuss surgical options, according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.


Dr. Carr can be contacted at www.chicagopodiatry.com.

Bunion Surgery Video

A new video has just been posted on our web site. It shows a real bunion surgical procedure.

A bunion is a deviation of the long bone behind the big toe producing a bump on the side of the foot. Bunions can occur on one or both feet. They tend to be hereditary but can occur without a family history. They are not caused by shoes but are often aggravated by shoe gear. Abnormal movement of the joints just below the ankle joint causes the deformity. This results in the front portion of the foot splaying or widening. As a result the big toe starts to drift toward the second toe and the long bone behind the big toe starts to drift outward.

Fall Newsletter

Fall podiatry newsletter has just been posted on our web site. Here are some highlights:

• Start Back-To-School Shopping On The Right Foot
• Orthotics 101: How They Can Help You
• My Feet Are Tingling: Could It Be Neuropathy

You can download it for free directly from www.chicagopodiatry.com .

Podiatrist and Specialist Needed

Chicago Podiatric Surgeons is currently looking to fill two vacancies: podiatrist and one specialist from the following fields: Plastic Surgeons, Extremity Orthopedics, Dermatology, Rheumatology, Gynecology and Physical Therapy. The specialist position is offered for the office space available in a prime Chicago downtown location.
For a tour of the facility or for more information go to www.chicagopodiatry.com , or call or email Ellen Carr, General Manager, Chicago Podiatric Surgeons, 312.337.9900, ellen@chicagopodiatry.com .

Foot Injuries Common After Storms and Tornadoes

With storm and tornado season officially underway, a Chicago foot and ankle surgeon reminds
about the risk of serious foot injuries during disaster clean-up.

"In the aftermath of a storm, people just want to clean up the debris as fast as they can and get on with their lives," says Dr. Carr, DPM, FACFAS, a foot and ankle surgeon with offices in Chicago. "By taking some simple precautions to protect their feet from injury, they can make the clean up go more quickly and more safely."

Many tornado survivors suffer puncture wounds on their feet. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, foot and ankle surgeons along the Gulf Coast reported treating patients who injured themselves wearing flip-flops and sandals during debris clean-up. Some patients developed bone infections from improperly treated puncture wounds caused by nails and other sharp objects.

According to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons’ (ACFAS) FootPhysicians.com Web site, puncture wounds require medical treatment within 24 hours to avoid infection and other complications from embedded foreign objects. Pieces of skin, sock and the shoe itself can be forced into the wound during a puncture, as well as dirt and debris from the object itself. If medical care is inaccessible, every hurricane survival kit should include first aid supplies.

"If you can’t get to a doctor, you can still irrigate the wound, apply a topical antibiotic, and a clean bandage,: says Dr. Carr. "Then see a doctor for follow- up care, including a tetanus shot if necessary."

After initial treatment, the ACFAS recommends puncture wound victims see a foot and ankle surgeon for a thorough cleaning and careful follow-up to monitor the wound for infection and to prescribe antibiotics if necessary.

Other storm foot safety tips include:

• Watch where you walk. Debris and murky floodwaters can conceal sharp objects. Be careful standing on unstable surfaces and piles of debris that can throw you off balance, causing ankle sprains or fractures.


• Wear appropriate shoe gear, work boots if possible. Don’t go barefoot. Avoid open-toed footwear like sandals.


• Take precautions when cutting down tree limbs. One hurricane victim broke several bones when sawing down a heavy tree limb that landed on her foot.
  

For treatment of puncture wounds or other foot or ankle trauma, contact Dr. Carr at Chicago Podiatric Surgoens.

Your Feet at the Beach

As millions of Americans hit the beach this summer, Dr. Thomas Carr, DPM, a foot and ankle surgeon in Chicago, shares these safety tips from the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

Puncture wounds and cuts: Wear shoes to protect your feet from puncture wounds and cuts caused by sea shells, broken glass and other sharp objects. Don’t go in the water if your skin gets cut – bacteria in oceans and lakes can cause infection. To avoid complications from a puncture wound, see a foot and ankle surgeon for treatment within 24 hours.

Jellyfish stings: Remember that a jellyfish washed up on the beach can still sting if you step on it. If their tentacles stick to the foot or ankle, remove them, but protect your hands from getting stung too. Vinegar, meat tenderizer or baking soda reduce pain and swelling. Most jellyfish stings heal within days, but if they don’t, medical treatment is required.

Sunburns: Feet get sunburn too. Rare but deadly skin cancers can occur on the foot. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to the tops and bottoms of your feet.

Burns: Sand, sidewalks and paved surfaces get hot in the summer sun. Wear shoes to protect your soles from getting burned, especially if you have diabetes.

Ankle injuries, arch and heel pain: Walking, jogging and playing sports on soft, uneven surfaces like sand frequently leads to arch pain, heel pain, ankle sprains and other injuries. Athletic shoes provide the heel cushioning and arch support that flip-flops and sandals lack. If injuries occur, use rest, ice, compression and elevation to ease pain and swelling. Any injury that does not resolve within a few days should be examined by a foot and ankle surgeon.

Diabetes risks: The 20 million Americans with diabetes face serious foot safety risks at the beach. The disease causes poor blood circulation and numbness in the feet. A diabetic may not feel pain from a cut, puncture wound or burn. Any type of skin break on a diabetic foot has the potential to get infected and ulcerate if it isn’t noticed right away. Diabetics should always wear shoes to the beach, and remove them regularly to check for foreign objects like sand and shells that can cause sores, ulcers and infections.

For treatment of beach-related foot injuries, contact Dr. Thomas Carr at 312-337-9900 or request your appointment at www.chicagopodiatry.com.