Archive for category Sports & Athletics
Any Time, Any Place: 13 Easy Ways to Move More
Posted by drchrismilkie in General, Sports & Athletics on August 19, 2010
1. When grocery shopping, circle the outer aisles of the store first before going down the center aisles. That is where the freshest healthiest food is anyway.
2. Walk into a bank or restaurant instead of using the drive-through.
3. When you bring groceries into your home, make a separate trip for each bag.
4. Get on your hands and knees to scrub the floors.
5. While you are brushing your teeth, do some calf stretches and leg raises.
6. Walk to the airport gate instead of using the moving walkways.
7. Do stretching exercises for your neck or shoulders when stuck in traffic.
8. Replace a sit-down meeting with a one-one-one business walk.
9. Walk around the playing field during your child’s soccer or softball practice.
10. Do leg lifts while sitting at your computer or watching TV.
11. When you make the bed, work quickly and stretch farther across the bed.
12. Gently squeeze a tennis ball to strengthen your grip while sitting at your desk.
13. Park as far away from the building as possible when you go to the office, run errands, or go shopping.
How Do I Know If My Toe Is Broken?
Posted by drchrismilkie in Foot Pain, Sports & Athletics on August 5, 2010
One of the most common injuries to the foot is a broken toe. You know, that bedpost or chair jumping out at you and smacking into a toe. The pinky toe is the one that gets it the most. Pain is immediate, followed by swelling and sometimes bruising.
So it happened… now what? Should you just leave it alone? After all, I am sure you have heard people say, “You can’t do anything about a broken toe.” I wonder who came up with that saying.
The fact is, you can do something about a broken toe, and should! first of all, you should have it examined by a Podiatrist and x-rays taken to see if it is broken. If so, the alignment of the toe and where it is broken is critical. A misaligned toe or break in the joint is not good. These can lead to long term pain and arthritis.
Broken toes can easily be treated if detected early. If you bang your toe and pain and swelling last for a few days, come in to get it checked. One of my patients waited too long and eventually needed an expensive bone stimulator and fracture shoe for eight weeks to heal the toe.
The bottom line with any foot injury is not waiting too long to have it examined. Unfortunately, even a broken toe can lay you up for a while if not detected and treated early. Most injuries can heal fast without you being inactive for a long time.
What Is a Stress Fracture of the Foot?
Posted by xmlrpc in Sports & Athletics on May 16, 2010
A stress fracture is an incomplete crack in the bone caused by overuse. A foot that is not structurally sound is prone to developing stress fractures. Even a normal foot can easily develop a stress fracture from repetitive use. Symptoms may include pain, redness and swelling.
STATISTICS:
• 0.7-15% of athletics injuries are stress fractures
• Track athletes have the highest amount of stress fractures
• The first metatarsal accounts for 10% of metatarsal stress fractures
• The second, third and fourth metatarsals account for 90% of metatarsal injuries
• There is a decrease in the incidence of stress fractures in men with lean body mass
• 8.8% of stress fractures occur in the metatarsals
• 25.3% of stress fractures occur in the tarsal bones
• 0.9% of stress fractures occur in the sesamoids
• 28% of stress fractures occur in the calcaneus
CAUSES OF STRESS FRACTURES:
• Overuse or strain of the foot
• Medical conditions such as osteoporosis
• Medications such as steroids
• Sudden increased activity level
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
• Use cold compresses or ice
• Get complete rest
• Elevate the feet
• Stay off your feet
WHAT WILL A PODIATRIC PHYSICIAN DO?
• Perform a physical examination
• Perform x-ray evaluation and future exams as needed
• Immobilize or cast the foot/leg
• Prescribe custom orthotics for long term control and prevention
• Prescribe medications when indicated
What is MSU’s Kalen Lucas’ Achilles Tendon Tear?
Posted by pubclip in Sports & Athletics on March 23, 2010
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Torn Achilles Tendon Knocks Michigan State Star Guard Kalen Lucas out of the NCAA March Madness 2010 Basketball Tournament
Posted by drchrismilkie in General, Sports & Athletics on March 23, 2010
Wow! Can you believe star Michigan State guard Kalen Lucas has been lost for the 2010 NCAA Tournament after tearing his Achilles tendon Sunday? What a nasty injury this is. I saw the replay and he went down without contact. He looked around to see if someone had accidentily kicked him but no one was there. This is always what happens when the achilles tears. The tendon was probably weak for some reason and one wrong movement lead to a complete rupture in half. He’ll have to undergo surgery to repair it and then rehab for approximately 6 months. Fortunately for him he has another year of college eligibility.
Another of Michigan State’s guards, Chris Allen, also has a foot injury which kept him out for all but four minutes of Sunday’s game. They called it a strained arch. It’s most likely a strain of a large ligament on the bottom of the foot called the Plantar Fascia. This isn’t nearly as bad as an achilles tear but it can be difficult to recover from quickly. Allen will probably have therapy 24/7 until their next game and be ready to play Friday against Northern Iowa. If he can’t go it will be a tall task for the Spartans to beat one of the tourney’s “Cinderella’s”. I know I didn’t expect any major injuries when filling out my bracket. I had Michigan State losing their next game to Kansas so a loss wouldn’t do too much harm to my bracket. Kansas’ loss was harmful enough.
One player’s misfortune is another’s opportunity. Korey Lucious, who went to grade school in my current home of Whitefish Bay, was the hero on Sunday against Maryland hitting the last second shot to send Michigan State to the sweet 16. The big question is can he step in and play consistent enough to lead his team to the Elite Eight. What Lucious probably can’t replace was Lucas’ leadership. I believe the Midwest bracket is wide open now with the 1, 3 and 4 seeds out and given MSU’s key loss and the fact that Kansas was ousted. Look out for the University of Northern Iowa, who beat overall number one seed Kansas to possibly make a run to the final four. However, never count out Michigan State’s coach Tom Izzo who has a National Championship to his credit, several Final Fours and a runner-up finish last year.