THE THREE CAUSES OF SPORTS INJURIES
There are three main causes of injuries in the athletic population are injuries related to abnormal hereditary position, traumatic injuries, and acquired injuries (hereditary plus overuse).
ABNORMAL HEREDITARY POSITION
The first cause that we'll discuss in this article is injuries related to hereditary conditions. The foot and limb go through many contortions during the embryonic stage of life and development. This can lead to abnormal structures in the back of the foot, the midfoot, and the forefoot. The main problems can be divided into foot types, which could be classified by the arches of the foot.
There are two main arches on the foot the medial longitudinal arch and the transverse arch. The medial longitudinal arch (which we all know as and call the arch) defines the relationship of the back of the foot to the middle of the low foot and can be high-arched or low-arched. The high-arched foot has very little ability to absorb shock whereas the arch foot can absorb shock but has very little stability.
The transverse arch, which is in the middle of the foot dictates the position of the middle of the foot to the front of the foot. Once again, this can be a high-arched foot or a low-arched foot. Most people have both a low rear foot and low-arched forefoot. This means they have very little stability in running and gait and are prone to all types of injuries occurring up the kinetic chain which include the ankles, legs, knees, hips, and back.
There is a combination foot type, high-arched in the back and low-arched in the front. This is a very complicated foot and needs shock-absorbing material in the rearfoot and stabilizing material in the forefoot. We can provide both in a custom orthotic. This complicated foot type is a common cause of injury and should be controlled with proper footwear and custom biomechanical orthotic devices.
TRAUMA
The second cause of sports injuries is obvious and that’s traumatic injuries. Angle sprains are one of the biggest causes of pain and disability in the athlete. The ankle usually twists inwardly because the ligaments on the inside of the ankle are stronger than the ligaments on the outside of the ankle, and that may also be a contributing factor that they have one of the foot types mentioned above. Knee injuries such as cruciate ligament injuries are also predisposed in athletes with a flat or pronated foot which places the anterior cruciate ligament in a predisposed state of injury. Traumatic injuries for the most part cannot be prevented and comprise a large number of athletic injuries.
ACQUIRED INJURIES
The third cause of athletic injury-acquired injuries is related to hereditary position and includes causes that relate to overuse injuries. Overuse injuries are complicated not only by abnormal foot mechanics and body mechanics of the foot, ankle, and leg, but also by overuse of an athlete's activity; too many sports too soon, returning to play before injuries are properly healed, improper activity with improper surfaces, and improper sporting shoes are also a big factor in overuse injuries. These injuries can be classified as acquired category injuries meaning they are related to hereditary conditions plus overuse. Most of these are in the knee joint area in the front of the knee, where pain and swelling can occur due to abnormal body mechanics. The common term shin splints is most likely related to abnormal mechanics, overuse of activity, and improper shoe wear.
We must recognize in some form of screening abnormal foot mechanics and abnormal hereditary position, so we can treat and prevent these athletic injuries from happening. Don't wait. Seek treatment. If you or someone that you care for suffers from pain in the feet, ankles, knees, hips, and/or lower back, the pain may be due to misalignment caused by faulty biomechanics which can be treated and corrected with the help of custom orthotic insoles. To schedule your comprehensive biomechanical evaluation, visit drleecohen.com or call our Sports Medicine Podiatry Center and book an appointment at our Cherry Hill, N.J. Sports Medicine Facility or Ridley Park, P.A. Office location with one of our podiatric sports medicine specialists today by calling (610) 522-9200.