Playing with Pain Can Ruin Your Tennis Game
Quick, repetitive footwork ID’d as
culprit
Foot pain began affecting Donna’s tennis game, and she
was determined not to let it keep her from the sport she loved.
The 47-year-old avid tennis
player from Arizona
tried to play through the pain and rest her feet between matches. But when the
pain became too much, and even started affecting her everyday activities, she
made an appointment with a foot and ankle surgeon. His diagnosis: Donna was
suffering from plantar
fasciitis and a neuroma.
According to Donna’s doctor, the conditions plaguing her are common among
court-playing athletes. “Because playing tennis requires quick, repetitive foot
movements and continuous forefoot pressure, neuromas, (a thickening of the
nerve tissue in the foot from compression) are common,” . “In
addition, those same movements can cause athletes to develop plantar fasciitis,
an inflammation of the strong ligament that extends from the heel to the toes,” . “If treated early, both conditions can be resolved non-operatively. But
as the condition progresses, surgical methods may be required to help patients
get back to their sport and their everyday activities.”
Donna’s treatment regimen
included stretching exercises, icing, a cortisone injection, an adjustment to
her shoes and custom
orthotics. “Within four months the heel pain from the plantar fasciitis had
improved tremendously. But the pain
in the ball of my foot from the neuroma was still bad and the doctor
recommended surgery,” Donna said.
“While surgery is not always
needed to treat neuromas, in Donna’s case it was necessary because she wasn’t
responding to non-surgical treatments,” the doctor said.
Four weeks after surgery,
Donna was back on the tennis courts and eight-weeks post-op, she was back to
her normal three-to-four day a week tennis game.
Court-playing athletes, such
as tennis and basketball players, are also susceptible to Achilles tendonitis, sesamoiditis,
stress
fractures, ankle
sprains and posterior
tibial tendonitis, which all can be brought on from the high-impact
movements of playing on hard surfaces. “Players with existing foot maladies or
structural abnormalities of the lower extremity also need to be extra cautious
while playing since their conditions can put them at a higher risk for overuse
injury,” stated the doctor.
No matter the sport, athletes
must take preventive methods to protect their feet to keep themselves in the
game. Supportive shoes tailored to the sport are vital, along with proper
training and stretching before and after play. If athletes are injured or
experience pain or discomfort in their feet or ankles, it’s best to be examined
by a foot and ankle surgeon. Early intervention is the key to proper healing.
As for Donna, she’s back on
her feet and has made modifications to her game, such as stretching before and
after a match and wearing more supportive shoes with her orthotics.
For more information on tennis injuries of
the foot and ankle or other lower extremity health information, visit the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons’
website, FootHealthFacts.org.
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The
American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons is a
professional society of over 6,000 foot and ankle surgeons. Founded in 1942,
the College’s mission is to promote research and provide continuing education
for the foot and ankle surgical specialty, and to educate the general public on
foot health and conditions of the foot and ankle through its consumer website,
FootHealthFacts.org.