Whether you want to have a good time with your friends or are simply looking to stay fit as you age, playing sports is an excellent solution. Both individual and team sports are excellent ways to work on your social, physical, and athletic skills. Playing sports is also a great way to relieve stress and deal with anxiety.

However, when you play sports, you’re potentially at risk of suffering an injury; this is particularly true when it comes to your feet. Developing a foot-related injury or condition is not only painful, but it can also force you to take a break from the sport. Furthermore, an injury can hinder your future athletic performance, which can affect your confidence on the court or field.

If you develop one of the following foot-related conditions, be sure to schedule an appointment with your local foot specialist. A foot specialist (also referred to as an ankle and foot specialist) is a trained expert that provides a wide array of services and products (like custom-crafted orthotic inserts) that can help you deal with your condition.

Athlete’s Foot

As the name implies, athlete’s foot is a condition that commonly affects people that play sports regularly.

Athlete’s foot is a fungal condition that causes that skin on and around your toes to become itchy and inflamed. Additionally, the condition can also lead to:

  • Crumbling toenails
  • A stinging or burning sensation
  • Blisters

Do you want to avoid this contagious condition? Then it would help if you wore flip-flops or shower-specific shoes while spending time in public changerooms or locker rooms.

Ingrown Toenails

Have you ever felt a throbbing pain in one of your toes and not been able to identify it? Then you may have had an ingrown toenail.

You may be asking yourself questions like, “what are the causes of ingrown toenails?” or “what are the symptoms of an ingrown toenail?”. These are excellent questions that should be answered.

One of the most common causes of ingrown toenails is improper nail trimming. When you trim your nails on an angle, you can potentially miss a part of the nail. This portion can grow into the nearby skin, which can eventually lead to swelling and sensitivity.

Similarly, wearing ill-fitting footwear can also lead to ingrown toenails. If your shoes are too tight or narrow, it presses your toes together; this can gradually cause your toenails to grow into the surrounding fleshy tissue.

In some severe cases, ingrown toenails can require surgery to fix. If you don’t want to have to deal with this down the line, make sure that you book an appointment with a foot care specialist.

Achilles Tendonitis

Have you ever felt a shifting or popping sensation in your Achilles tendon? Then you may have developed a case of Achilles tendonitis.

Achilles tendonitis is a common overuse injury that causes inflammation in the lower leg and ankle. Although Achilles tendonitis rarely causes pain, it can be relatively uncomfortable and distracting while playing sports.

Failing to deal with your Achilles tendonitis can cause it to worsen into a chronic condition and potentially lead to tendon ruptures.

If you want to feel your best on the court or field, you should do everything in your power to avoid the conditions and injuries listed above.