Ankle sprains are one of the most common sports injury that I see in my offices located in both my North Scottsdale and South Scottsdale. There is a high chance that you or someone you know has probably experienced the agony of a bad sprain. Only those with the experience can tell you what it feels like to have an ankle sprain. In America, some sports with the highest number of ankle sprain occurrence include basketball, football, volleyball, and soccer. It is hard to believe that the friendly sport of volleyball has such high rates of ankle sprains. In fact volleyball has higher rates or ankle sprains than some more strenuous and dangerous sports like lacrosse.

In the college realm, recently, you may have heard that Paige Weber, a well-known volleyball player for the University of Arizona's Wildcats twisted her ankle just days leading up to a big match. The significance of this news, other than the fact that it occurred just days prior to the Wildcats match vs. ASU's Sundevils, was how quickly this athlete was able to get back on the volleyball court. Paige was able to compete in the match just 3 days following her injury. Luckily, or unluckily for Sundevils fans, the Wildcats overcame their handicap to defeat the Sundevils.

Volleyball is a non-contact sport and doesn't involve running around, but this doesn't mean you are completely safe from an ankle injury. In fact, volleyball is one sport where injuries occur more often in practice. What you may not realize is that volleyball involves a lot of jumping action, which is when sprains are most likely to occur. When a volleyball player, or any other athlete lands from their jump on the outside of their foot, there is a stress force exerted on that ankle's ligaments and could cause them to break. This is known as the typical "rolling the ankle" phenomenon.

One of the most concerning facts about ankle sprains is the lack of a full recovery. As the pain and swelling go down, athletes start to think that they are ready to pick up the same sport at full speed again and this may have been the case for Weber at the match. For this reason, the re-occurrence rates of ankle sprains is not surprising, but concerning for sure.

In order to bring an ankle back to full recovery to minimize the chances of re-occurrence, proper treatment as well as proper rehabilitation is a must. I usually encourage my patients to pick up the signs of possible ankle sprain, such as the characteristic swelling and bruising around the ankle and sometimes bruising down the foot. At this point, with the pain and swelling you will know to stop activity immediately and see a physician. After a sprain, I usually provide my patients with proper dressing to immobilize their ankle and minimize swelling and even put them in a walking boot. I always recommend "RICE" ( Rest Ice Compression and Elevation) for injuries. I'll be sure to advice them through procedures required for a full recovery of the ankle to be able to compete at 100% onceagain.

NBA players today believe it's ok to take days off whenever they want. Most recently the likes of Chicago Bulls "all-star deserving" bigman is sitting out due to heel pain. I remember back when players never sat out games, and they played football! (hint: he threw for a team named the packers.) I suppose not everyone can put up 50 pts with a cold en route to a basketball dynasty, eh eh MJ, but heel pain, really? It is true, people at risk or untreated can develop serious daily heel pain.

If you are experiencing pain under the middle of your heel when you get out of bed or when standing from a long-seated position, you probably have plantar fascittis. Plantar refers to the location below your foot. Fascia is soft tissue, and the suffix "-itis" means "inflammation of". Professional athletes such as Joakim Noah and Yao Ming are at especially high risk for developing foot problems like this one. This is because two big factors for developing plantar fasciitis include: being heavy and being highly active (such as runners).

The plantar fascial band holds together the arch of our feet. It starts at your heel and this is where the pain occurs. There is a lot of tension on the fascial band stretching it, especially when people are overweight or running a lot. With treatment the plantar fascia can be relieved and pain hopefully will subside. Only the most extreme cases need surgery and this is only after 2+ years of conservative treatments. Thankfully new advanced treatments such as the use of Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy are still being developed for this conditon today.

The most conservative treatments are the best place to begin. This includes new shoe gear, daily stretching, and an over-the counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to wear proper shoes. When battling plantar fasciitis you should be wearing proper shoe gear at all times, even around the house! Proper shoes are the right size and have a rigid sole that bends at the ball of your foot ONLY. Sometimes a custom molded orthotic as prescribed by a podiatrist can be beneficial as well. Daily stretches will give you further relief. One easy way to stretch the plantar fascia is by standing (one foot) on a small ball, like a golf ball, and rolling it under the arch of your foot. Some people take stretching a step further with night splints. Night splints can be ordered through your podiatrist. They are worn overnight and have provided a lot of success. If you believe you are battling plantar fasciitis, do not wait for itto subside on its own. Be proactive and start with these tips.

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Summer is ending again. Marked by "Back to school" sales and football preseason, a new school year is upon us. As the school season begins, so does athlete's foot. Athlete's foot is a foot fungus doctor's call tinea pedis. This disease was coined athlete's foot due to its ease of transmission in public showers. This means fall athletes are now at high risk of contracting the fungus.

Athlete's foot is recognized by peeling skin between the toes and on the bottom of the foot. It may be itchy, stinging or burning. Once contracting foot fungus, there are two choices. Kill it, or grow it. Although this appears to be a call for a science project, your podiatrist and I plead that you choose the former. Untreated foot fungus can grow rapid. It can grow and lead to a moccasin foot or begin to infect the nails. It can also lead to secondary problems such as bacterial infections and allergic responses. Once these problems occur, the treatment plan becomes more difficult.

There are a few steps you can take to avoid athlete's foot this year. You need to keep your feet dry. This includes changing into clean socks regularly, alternating pairs of shoes, and possibly using a talc powder such as baby powder. Also, it is necessary to protect your feet in public. This means wearing shower shoes in the gym showers and not borrowing shoes from friends.

If you believe you have foot fungus, go to Walgreens and grab yourself an over the counter antifungal cream. Lotriman, Lamisil, and Tinactin all work. Wash and dry the infected area and apply the cream one to two times daily or as instructed. If your feet sweat during the night, putting cotton balls between your toes can help keep them dry. If the problem persists beyond four weeks, it's time to visit a podiatrist.

It is that time of the year again when every little one is excited for the back to school shopping with mom and dad. It is all about looking fresh, cute, and prepared for the first day of school. As every experienced parent knows, new shoes are on the must-buy back to school shopping list. This year, let's try to do things a bit differently when it comes to new shoes.

Anything for the health and well-being of our children, right? Assuring the appropriate footwear for our child is not very difficult or time consuming; yet it plays a major rule in their podiatric health and athletic performance. Studies have shown that comfortable shoes and overall foot health increase the likeliness of your child taking part in school activities and sports. Aside from encouraging and supporting them to keep active, us parents can also help by providing them with well fitting shoes.

The following tips are to help you help your children with their shoes:

• If your children are involved in sports, provide them with activity appropriate shoes, such as running shoes, soccer cleats and high top basketball shoes.
• Don't let your children wear second hand shoes or share shoes. Old shoes and sharing shoes will increase the risk of foot fungus and its spread.
• Replace shoes when they get old. Worn-out shoes increase can lead to injuries during running and other activities.
• Don't rely on break-in period. A well-fitted shoe should feel comfortable immediately when tried on. Speak with your podiatrist about measuring your child's foot size on a regular basis.
• When purchasing new shoes, make sure the shoe you are purchasing meets all of these 3 steps

1. Squeeze the back of the shoe's heel for stability. The sole should not collapse.
2. The shoe must bend from the toe box, where the base of the toes will be.
3. Hold the shoe from both ends and try to twist it. It must not be easily twistable.