Foot Injuries Plague Athletes During Fall Spo...( American Pod...),Health

American Podiatric Medical Association highlights common sports injuries, preventative tips.

Bethesda, MD (Vocus) September 11, 2008 -- With the 2008-09 football season still in its fledgling stages, storylines for many teams in the spotlight have evolved from the typical 'who to watch' to 'who's gone down now?' Chris 'Beanie' Wells, starting running back for the Ohio State University Buckeyes, continues to recuperate from a right toe injury suffered almost two weeks ago. National Football League (NFL) running back LaDainian Tomlinson, star of the San Diego Chargers, also limped from his team's opening game with a foot injury recently - which he quickly brushed off as 'turf toe.' But how many athletes in fall sports, like football, take these types of injuries too lightly?

According to the http://www.apma.org [American Podiatric Medical Association] (APMA), both professional and amateur athletes are at an extremely high risk for injuring their lower limbs during play. Whether performing hairpin turns on artificial turf or taking part in a powerful, high-speed collision with other players, foot and ankle injury risks for athletes run rampant - and participating in a favorite sport should always involve playing it safe.

"http://www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?CID=371&DID=9406 [Stress fractures] of the foot, ankle sprains and ligament injuries are all, unfortunately, quite common in popular fall sports such as football," said Dr. David Davidson, APMA member and podiatric medical consultant for the Buffalo Bills of the NFL. "From maintaining proper conditioning to wearing sport-specific footwear, athletes can function at peak performance much more often when constantly maintaining high levels of footcare safety."

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