Three Questions To Ask At Your Sports Medicine Clinic
When you've injured your toes, foot or ankle through running or another athletic endeavor, it's beneficial to visit a sports medicine clinic that offers podiatry services. By meeting with a foot specialist, you'll be able to learn the exact extent of your ailment, have it treated so that it's no longer causing you discomfort and even learn how you can get back to your athletic lifestyle without having a high risk of aggravating the same injury again. You can increase your ability to understand your injury, the healing process and how to avoid similar issues in the future by asking plenty of questions during your sessions. Here are three that are worth asking.
What Home Care Techniques Can I Use?
It's ideal to take a proactive interest in your recuperation and you can do so by talking about how you can help the healing process when you're not at the sports medicine clinic. Your health professional will be able to give you a number of different strategies that can help reduce pain and promote healing in between your visits to the clinic. For example, if you're dealing with plantar fasciitis, you can apply ice to the painful area to help bring down the inflammation, perform specific stretching exercises that will help to improve the range of motion of the plantar fascia at the bottom of your feet and even take steps to lose weight if your health professional suggests that your weight may be compounding the symptoms.
Do I Need To Change My Exercise Approach?
Depending on the type of foot or ankle injury that has brought you to the sports medicine clinic, it's worthwhile to discuss how reasonably you can expect to continue the exercise without complications. In some cases, you'll be able to get back to your active lifestyle as normal. In other cases, you'll need to use foot orthotics that will provide support for your arch. Sometimes, your health professional will talk about your exercise mechanics and make suggestions; for example, you might need to find a lower-impact exercise such as switching to light jogging from vigorous jogging.
Are There Any Complementary Therapies That You Can Suggest?
With some foot and ankle injuries, it's ideal to tackle the problem from multiple angles. Depending on the exact qualifications of your sports medicine health professional, he or she might lead you through stretching exercises or even manipulate your muscles or tendons manually. Asking about complementary therapies can speed up the healing process. For example, the health professional could suggest that you visit a massage therapist to help loosen the tight muscles in your ankles and lower legs.
To learn more, contact a doctor like Dr. Lisa M. Schoene.