It might be the middle of summer, but we’re already excited for fall sports. High school football, men’s soccer and tennis and women’s volleyball teams are hitting practice fields, gyms and weight rooms to help the athletes get a jump on strength training and endurance before the height of the competitive season gets started. 

Unfortunately, just as practice gets in full swing, we start seeing more sports injuries here at Foster Chiropractic Clinic. From sore backs to shin splints, pain and injuries can keep you from competing at the level you want. One of the most common sports-related injuries we see are ankle injuries. More than 22% of all sports injuries are ankle injuries, making it the most common injury for high school athletes. This is due in part to the types of sports high school athletes play. Football, basketball, soccer and volleyball are the sports most prone to ankle injuries, as these sports combine jumping in close proximity to others and changing direction quickly while running, all of which can be hard on ankles.

Preventative Measures

My grandmother used to say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This couldn’t be more true than when it comes to ankle injuries. Many people think ankle injuries are unavoidable accidents, when in fact doing a little work to get your ankles strong can help avoid injury during play and keep you from missing any time in the game. The first step is to schedule an evaluation with Dr. Scott Foster before your season. During this office visit the doctor will evaluate your postural sway, your ankle strength and flexibility, and your balance. From there we can make recommendations for strengthening exercises or other measures, such as shoes with proper fit and support or an ankle brace.

People often think high top shoes are a good way to prevent ankle injuries, and that extra support can help, but the best measure is to strengthen the muscles and improve balance to help prevent injury. Exercises can be as simple as drawing the alphabet with your big toe, standing on one leg for 30 second each repeatedly, and doing calf raises.

Chiropractic Treatment Options

Even the best of prevention can’t avoid all accidents. If you’ve experienced an ankle injury, the first thing to do is practice RICE -- rest, ice, compression, elevate. 

Chiropractic treatment is also an option for many types of ankle injuries. Many people often think of chiropractic treatment as only for the spine, but adjustments of the ankle joint can relieve pain, and regular adjustments can help prevent further injury. Dr. Scott Foster is one of the few chiropractors in the Winston-Salem area certified to treat extremities. His expertise with sports injuries helps him know what to do to get high school athletes back in the game as soon as possible.

If you’re looking to participate in sports, call our office today for a pre-season evaluation and help prevent time out of the game due to injuries this season.