Sports Medicine – Page 3 – Anderson Podiatry Center

Tips to Help You Best Stretch Your Calf Muscle

Posted on November 1, 2016July 1, 2025 by admin

Stretching is a very useful tool in alleviating tight muscles, loosening up before or after a workout, or just for general wellbeing. However, some muscles are much harder to stretch than others, and not stretching them can cause problems. The calf muscle, for example, can be very difficult to stretch if you don’t know how. Below you will find some tips on how to finally get the calf muscle good and stretched out.

Having a tight Achilles tendon (calf muscle) can case numerous foot problems. The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body, and is made of two muscles combining together to form the tendon that inserts into the back of the heel. The first muscle is the gastrocnemius muscle. It originated from above the knee. The other is the soleus muscle which originates form the back of the lower leg.

When it comes to stretching these muscles there are two similar, but slightly different techniques. The traditional runners stretch against the wall is very affective, and the way you stretch both muscles is first by stretching with the knee locked, which stretches the gastrocnemius muscle, and the other is the same stretch but modified by slightly bending the knee to stretch the soleus muscle. This is done to slack the gastrocnemius muscle because if crosses the knee, and now you are only isolating the soleus muscle.

Give it a try and you will notice the difference. With the knee locked you will feel the stretch more closely to the knee and with the knee slightly bent you will feel the stretch lower in the calf.

The other key thing that I often see patients do wrong with this stretch is not keeping the heel on the ground and the foot perpendicular to the wall. By lifting the heel, you are not fully stretching the tendon, and by having your foot turned outward you are doing what we call pronating your foot and putting more stress on the foot and other tendons. So, I always recommend keeping the heel flat on the ground and the foot strait. When you first start stretching start closer to the wall, and as you stretch more you can get more aggressive by moving away from the wall and leaning in more.

I hope these tips helped you learn how to stretch your calf muscle better. Give it a try, comment how it went or with any questions, and enjoy the stretch!

How to Stop Tendonitis Progression

Posted on July 19, 2016July 1, 2025 by admin

We all know living an active lifestyle is an essential component to being healthy. Whether you are a mega multi-marathon runner, an avid tennis player, a yoga instructor, or a mall walker, your exercise is an important part of your daily routine. However, this healthy lifestyle of yours is threatened when injuries arise in your feet, such as tendonitis. Tendonitis is common and painful, but there are ways to keep the tendonitis progression to a minimum.

Tendonitis progression can affect various muscles in the body, including the feet. Posterior tibial tendinitis, for example, is an inflammation of the tendon that runs from the inner ankle to the shinbone. Some symptoms to look for to determine if you do indeed have tendonitis are:

Pain that increases when the affected area moves, such as when walking
A cracking or grating feeling when the injured tendon moves
Swelling
Redness and heat from the affected area
The development of a lump along the tendon
Difficulty standing on your toes
Pain on the inside of the foot or ankle

Tendonitis is a common injury, and is caused by the repetition of a particular movement over time. Though not as common, it may also arise after a sudden injury. Some of the risk factors which increase the likelihood of getting tendonitis are:

Age- Tendons become less flexible and more susceptible to injury the older you get.
Certain jobs- If your job consists of repetitive movements, awkward positions, frequent
Overhead reaching, vibration, or forced extension you have a greater risk of hurting the tendon.
Diabetes- Though experts are unsure why, people with diabetes tend to have a higher risk of developing tendonitis.
Sports- The most common cause of tendonitis comes from sports injuries, especially in sports like running, swimming, basketball, tennis, golf, etc.

Whatever reason caused your tendonitis they all have the same risk: the injury is progressive and will worsen if untreated!

So, how do you stop this progression? The answer is simple, start treatment right away! Treatment options include:

Rest, ice and elevation- these steps can often help alleviate pain.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy and AmnioFix Therapy– Anderson Podiatry Center has been doing these treatments to repair feet and ankle tears longer than anyone in the Rocky Mountain region.
Custom orthotics– These are made by a podiatrist from a mold of your actual foot to help give you the best results.
Surgery– If the tendon is torn too badly, surgery may be the best option.

Before starting any treatment, it is extremely important to have your injury properly evaluated. All too often people think they have tendonitis, when in fact they have a tendon tear. The huge problem with this is that the two injuries are treated differently.

Dr. Anderson of Anderson Podiatry Center explains the concern with this. He says, “People have been known to stretch a suspected tendonitis, as it’s recommended sometimes. If the tendon is torn it will damage it more.” He also says how with a mild tear surgery may be avoided with regenerative medicines like Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy and AmnioFix Therapy.

Again, the earlier you get your tendon checked by a podiatrist the better. Podiatrists are able to determine the extent of the injury, and get you the care you need before your injury progresses any further.

Get treated, and get back to your healthy lifestyle!

Custom Orthotics vs. Over-the-Counter Arch Support

Posted on May 24, 2016July 1, 2025 by admin

Okay, I’m going to come right out and say it: custom orthotics, made from a mold of your foot, are better than over-the-counter arch supports. How can I say this? Because I’m neutral on the subject.

You see, during normal motion while walking or running, the foot can sometimes roll too far to one side. The rolling of the foot too far inward is called pronation. Rolling too far outward is called supination. Both conditions are often painful, and can cause other problems.

A normal foot in motion is neutral. The foot and ankle maintain a straight line, and it doesn’t roll too far to one side or the other.

Herein lies the key difference between custom orthotics and over-the-counter arch support: custom orthotics are designed to hold the foot in neutral, whereas over-the-counter arch supports are not.

The neutral position created by custom orthotics stabilizes the forefoot to the rearfoot. Think of a car with the front and back wheels out of alignment—the wear and tear that ensues is a direct result of the wheels not lining up correctly. I’ve seen patients who have worn over-the-counter arch supports for months and are still dealing with pain. After switching to custom orthotics, their pain goes away.

The most glaring reason to use custom orthotics instead of over-the-counter arch supports is when the forefoot is tilted onto the rearfoot. Think of driving a car with a flat tire on the front driver’s side. The car doesn’t need something to support it in the middle; it needs the front balanced with a new (inflated) tire. In the flatter-footed population, the front “flat tire” is the big toe joint. A custom-molded orthotic will support the flat arch by supporting, or “inflating”, the first toe joint, which will bring the foot to neutral. Over-the-counter arch supports can’t do this.

A custom orthotic will help the front and back of your foot work together, creating a more efficient, one-component system. An over-the-counter arch support, on the other hand, will be soft and fluffy and will only support your arch.

Custom orthotics can get you back to the level of activity that will improve your fitness and happiness. So, put it in neutral to get moving!

Drop Foot: Why it’s Important to Seek Treatment Right Away

Posted on May 10, 2016July 1, 2025 by admin

I recently opened the paper on Sunday night and something in the sports section caught my eye. A star Notre Dame Football player, Jaylon Smith (soon to be playing professional football) has a drop foot. I researched more about his injury and subsequent reconstructive surgery to repair his knee. The discussion in the article was if he would ever fully regain his strength and return to football. I’m not sure if the discussion was about his injury, the surgery, or a combination of both, but in it they were contemplating whether Jaylon would ever return to normal.

In the interview Jaylon was being told to sit and wait. What?! The article specifically mentioned an injury to the common peroneal nerve. As a surgeon who operates on this nerve regularly this raised some serious concern.

I was concerned because I have seen many patients with a history of knee or hip surgery suffer from complications of drop foot. In Jaylon’s case it may have been from the knee injury. Doctors take a “wait and see” attitude towards this. However, if there is not rapid trend toward improvement in the first 3 month I feel surgery should be considered.

Waiting could risk more long term permanent damage!

Drop foot is often considered to be from a sciatic nerve that gets stretched. Understand that the common peroneal nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve that travels below the knee and sends impulses to the muscles that pull the foot up and to the side. So, the basis of my concern is that the common peroneal nerve travels through an anatomical nerve tunnel just below the knee. This is an area where there is potential tightness or squeezing of the nerve which serves as an anchoring point, and when it is released (opened) it will reduce the stretching of the common peroneal nerve.

It’s been my experience when helping patients with drop foot after years of complications from knee or hip surgery that early intervention would have been better to maximize strength improvement. I perform surgery on this nerve tunnel multiple times per month. It’s a 20 minute procedure with patients going home that day walking, and many have improvement within days. This challenges conventional wisdom that the nerves will take months to repair.

Thus, waiting could be detrimental to his career! So, even for people who aren’t professional athletes, waiting may not be the best plan.

This information I am sharing challenges what I would consider “traditional concepts.” It has been thought that stretching of the sciatic nerve is the primary issue, but it has been my experience that by opening the anatomical tunnel that the common peroneal nerve travels through just below the knee the drop foot can be corrected. As a surgeon, and the past President of the Colorado Podiatric Medical Association; Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons, who does research associated with this nerve and its effects on the lower extremity I thought my opinion should be shared and considered.

If you experience drop foot from an injury, or knee or hip surgery please seriously consider this option!

How to Prevent Jogging Injuries with Proper Foot Alignment

Posted on April 12, 2016July 1, 2025 by admin

Sadly, jogging injuries are not uncommon. In fact, it’s very likely that you or someone you know has been benched due to a jogging injury, whether it be a shin splint, sprained ankle, leg or foot pain, or a stress fracture.

With a little help and preparation, you can ensure you stay off the bench and on the track.

Jogging injuries can come from an array of sources, but a common perpetrator is foot misalignment. Foot misalignment is often the culprit behind many injuries, including:

Shin splint – a stabbing, aching pain in the shins that happens when the muscles and tendons covering the shinbone become inflamed.
Sprained ankle – this painful injury is caused by the inward or outward stretching of the ligament, and can take weeks to months to fully heal.
Leg, knee, and foot pain – caused by overuse, pulled muscles, joint strain, and runner’s knee, to name a few possible culprits.
Stress fracture – tiny cracks in the bone that are the result of repeatedly pounding more force into the leg bones than they can handle. Don’t be deceived by their tininess: these cracks in the bones are very painful, and they can be difficult to recover from.

So what exactly is foot misalignment?

Alignment refers to how the axes of the bones line up. Misalignment is when the bones don’t line up properly, which puts extra stress on the outer parts of the joints where thin cartilage can’t withstand it. This puts added pressure on the ligaments, which weakens joints.

Common foot alignment issues include:

Flat feet – can produce pain in the arch and lower leg, foot swelling, weakness in the toes, or there can be no pain at all, yet it still can be a huge factor in foot misalignment. A high arch can also misalign the feet.
Pronation – the arch of the foot flattens, resulting in increased stress on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Supination – the outward roll of the foot. Supination, like pronation, results in increased stress on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and can also result in runner’s knee, Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and many other injuries.

Even though jogging injuries are about as common as mosquitos in a swamp, there are actions you can take to help prevent them. Proper shoes, along with orthotics, are a fantastic way to realign your feet, and getting the correct orthotics can easily be accomplished by seeing a podiatrist. Also, by following a few simple preventative measures you can greatly reduce your risk of getting injured.

Dr. Murdock, one of our skilled doctors who is also an avid-runner, offers a few key tips for avoiding jogging injuries. First, practice cross-training: don’t do the same activity every day, and if you do the same activity, don’t have two hard days, but rather do a hard day and then an easy day.

He explains, “Listen to your body! Cross-train with biking, running, elliptical, etc. Make sure that part of your cross training is working your core. Core strength is really important in preventing injuries.”

Dr. Murdock also says to cross-train foot function with different shoes such as a stability shoe, cushion shoe, rock shoe, etc.

Next, avoid repetitive motion. One great way to do this, Dr. Murdock says, is by varying your pace so you’re not running fifteen miles at a seven-and-a-half minute pace, but rather change it to an eight-minute mile, then seven, then nine, etc. Also, make sure the surface you’re running on is flat, not an angle, to avoid tendon injuries.

Last, make sure to stretch. “I’m an advocate of stretching, particularly after a workout,” Dr. Murdock says.

Jogging injuries are common and often fierce, but by following the steps above they can be prevented.