It is that time of the year again! Time for new years resolutions which will undoubtedly include an increase in exercise programs. It is a clean slate for a lot of us to start fresh with a new work out. Whether it be increasing your running routine or starting kickboxing classes the increase in activity lends itself to an increase in muscular injuries as well. As a foot and ankle specialist this time of the year lends itself to a large increase in muscle and tendon injuries. Let me explain.
For some of us, the new years resolution is simply to live a healthier life, but for many of us its to shed a few pounds and get back into shape. With this comes the tendency to do to much to soon in an attempt to kick start the process. This is where the problem lies. I am an avid runner so I will use that as an example which can certainly be applied to any activity. In running it is suggested that you only increase the distance of your runs by 5-10% per week. This is an important incremental increase to prevent injury. When it’s not followed the muscles will react. They are not used to the increase in demand and will likely develop inflammation which will cause pain and grind your routine to a halt.
Luckily this does not have to mean your new years resolution is lost until next year. Most tendon injuries respond with anti-inflammatories which can be delivered directly to the site with a cortisone injection. As the inflammation diminishes it is then smart to slowly work back to your routine and we often recommend custom molded orthotics to support the muscles in their new found work load! If standard anti-inflammatories do not resolve your tendonitis, we have several regenerative medicine techniques which include super pulsed laser, ozone, and platelet rich plasma (PRP), which are all utilized to rapidly stimulate healing within the body.
The moral of the story is, if your new years resolution has only led to pain, call us at Healthy Feet Podiatry and allow us to get you back to it ASAP!
