Brett Favre – A warning on ankle injuries

We are halfway to the NFL’s Week 8 and there are a number of high profile quarterback’s whose seasons have become questionable.  Tony Romo, who may not recover from his shoulder injury until the last few games of the season, and Brett Favre, who severely injured his ankle, are just two of them.  While there may not be a lot of us rooting for the Vikings, the career achievements of Brett Favre have made him a much publicized player.  Records including most consecutive starts by a player, most consecutive wins, and most career playoff completions just a few of a long list of achievements for him.  The latest injury to the aged player caused him to limp off the field after a loss to the Packer’s on Sunday.   This injury may cause him to end his streak of consecutive starts as well as his ability to be an effective player.

He may be the first one to admit that he’s ‘no spring chicken anymore.’  As with any older individual, it takes your body a little longer to heal than it may have when you were younger.  Brett Favre, at around $1 million per game salary, isn’t your average 41 year old and has expressed a desire to play through the pain.  While it has been reported that he can’t do further damage to the broken bone by playing, we here at AFAS have our reservations.  This week he has been seen in a walking boot to help off load the ankle allowing it to rest and heal.  While rest is important, it may be of no use if he rests all week only to jump into a game on Sunday.  This athlete has played through injury before, and his high profile status may bring him to do it again, but at what peril to his health and performance?

This should be a word of warning to any ‘weekend warriors’ out there who are anxious to bounce back from an ankle injury.  You must be sure to give your injury ample time to heal.  Additionally, you should slowly work up to your activity with the proper exercises and physical therapy.  Conditioning your body for your activities is the best way to prevent initial or recurring injuries. Failure to properly rehabilitate an injury can cause re-injury and continued complications…..even for professional athletes.

Until next time, keep those feet (and ankles) happy and healthy Austin!

Houston Rocket’s Yao Ming - Basketball players and foot injuries

It was game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals in May 2009 that Yao twisted his ankle.  That year was one of his healthiest since a long list of injuries that began in 2005.  That year, osteomyelitis infected his big toe; the 06-07 season brought a break to the right leg and 07-08 required foot surgery for a stress related fracture of the left foot.  After coming back from all that, Yao was a significant factor in the 08-09 Rockets march to the NBA semifinals.  He told reporters after game 3 that he played through a ‘twist’ in his ankle each quarter.  Doctors took subsequent CT scans of the injured ankle and noted another fracture.  After spending the year recovering from that surgery, Yao has spent the preseason slowly working up to his old self.

So, why are basketball players, especially the tallest ones, so susceptible to injury?  There are several factors that play into this. One factor that we have talked about before is the compounding pressure and weight applied to your feet when you run. Many of the tallest players in the NBA are also the heaviest.  When one foot takes the impact of a 300+ pound athlete sprinting down the hardwood floor, their bones and ligaments are put under a stress many of us will never experience. Add to that, a second factor.  Quick changes in direct, pivots and cuts all subject the foot to ligamentous strain that can easily turn into injury.  For these reasons, footwear and orthotic inserts are of the utmost importance to basketball players be they professionals or high school players.

Let’s get back to Yao.  Is there hope for our center?  Can we expect a productive season out of this international star?  Only time will tell.  For now, his doctors have limited him to playing only 24 minutes per game.  This will provide time for him to work back to performance condition, but will provide challenges for the Rockets team.  We can hope that Yao follows in the footsteps of Zydrunas Ilgauskas of the Miami Heat who has fully recovered from a similar surgery. Unfortunately, there is the old adage ‘the bigger they are the harder they fall’ and there are many big players who have never recovered.  Here’s hoping some medical expertise, the proper physical therapy, and a little luck make Yao Ming the strong center that has helped the Rockets out in the past. 

Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy Austin!

Serena is out for the year – The Importance of Post Operative Care

Several months ago we blogged about an injury to tennis star Serena Williams.  To refresh your memory, she cut her foot on a piece of glass at a restaurant after winning Wimbledon.  The injury and repair lead her to sit out the US Open where she would have defended the doubles title she won with her sister.  We all have tough decisions to make concerning our health and one can easily empathize with the tough decision she made to sit out that tournament.  Unfortunately, she began training too much and too soon after her surgery.  Last week she announced that she will not play for the remainder of this year.

She reported last week that after a morning practice she felt pain in her previously injured foot and consulted her doctor.  After imaging the area, it was concluded that she had restrained the injured tendon.  She admitted that she had been attempting to get back in shape to play and may have trained too hard.  This could happen to anyone who is trying to get back to daily activities  quickly after surgery.

By attempting to return to tennis too quickly, she has lengthened her recovery time and possibly set the stage for further injury.  She admitted that she had been training a lot over the last few weeks in order to get back into competition.  This is easily understandable to anyone who must set aside their livelihood to recover from an injury. In Serena’s case, the decision to ‘get back to work’ may have cost her much more money in future winnings than the tournaments she had already passed on.  This can hold true for anyone healing from foot surgery.  You may feel you need to get back on your feet ASAP and return to your normal activities, but doing so puts you at risk for an even longer healing time with more varied results.  Always be sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations for post-op care and subsequent physical training.  By taking the time to heal properly, you can avoid further problems that can occur.

Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy Austin!

Resting After a Win - Longhorns Send the Huskers Packing

With Nebraska’s impending move to the Big 10, this would be last time the Husker’s could attempt to get a conference win in Texas.  The last few weeks of football have been tough here in Austin.  The rest of the football world was looking at us as underdogs against the number 5 ranked Nebraska team.  It was pretty obvious that Mack Brown and the Longhorn players didn’t pay any mind to all that talk as they prepared for this weekend’s game.

Every member of the UT team put forth the effort to bring home the win.  Whether it was Garrett Gilbert picking up yards running, or the defense limiting Nebraska to less than half their average yards, the Longhorns won the game on the ground.  Football cleats are especially designed for the traction and durability needed on play on the field, but it is those players feet that must stand up to the running game every Saturday.  With over 200 rushing yards collected in this weekend’s win, those players’ feet need some TLC to optimize their play rest of the season.  Key things such as applying heat and massaging your feet will increases the circulation and allow their body to bath the muscles in tendons in nutrition and healing growth factors.

After a long day of walking, your feet could also benefit from the same therapy athletes apply.  Rest, stretching, and massaging are all things that can help your feet avoid and prevent injury.  The Longhorn players benefit from having a team staff to provide the right physical therapy and physician care.  You don’t have to be a college athlete to give your feet similar care.  Take the time after a long day on your feet to rest and massage them, and be sure to visit AFAS on the first sign of pain or damage.

Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy Austin! Hook ‘em horns!