With the weather warming up and Spring coming quickly, baseball is about to return to Long Island. Now, America’s sport is fun to play and fun to watch. But foot pain and baseball often go together, especially when players wear cleats during game play. Want to avoid discomfort and injuries that could take your baseball player out of the game? Here are the most common injuries to look for, with tips for preventing and treating them from your podiatrists in Nassau County.
Foot Pain and Baseball: Common Injuries We Can Prevent (and Treat!)
As Spring training begins, it’s important to watch baseball players for signs of the following foot problems:
1. Plantar fasciitis
Cleats are designed to prevent players from slipping; they aren’t designed to provide arch support, and their hard, studded soles put direct pressure on the plantar fascia (that band of connective tissue on the bottom of your foot that connects your heel and toes.) Given their construction, players who train in their cleats could develop plantar fasciitis—inflammation in the band of tissue that leads to heel pain and arch pain. Initially, the pain is worst in the morning, right as you stand up from your bed. At that stage, the pain will likely improve throughout the day as you move. However, if you don’t seek treatment, plantar fasciitis could become a chronic source of foot pain and baseball play could be very challenging.
Resolving Heel Pain ![Baseball player at bat]()
If your baseball player suffers from heel pain, we may recommend pain relief medications; stretches and exercises to relieve tension in the calf muscles and connected Achilles tendon; night splints that keep your plantar facsia from tightening up while you sleep; Medical-grade inserts (MGIs) or custom orthotics to relieve pain by providing additional arch support; and, if you need to get back in the game sooner, we can offer laser therapy to speed up your body’s natural healing abilities, reducing your pain and inflammation at a faster pace to support a shorter recovery period.
2. Achilles tendinitis
Overtraining—especially when you’re doing lots of running—can cause Achilles tendon pain and inflammation. Other symptoms of tendinitis include stiffness, tenderness to touch, and heel pain at the back of your heel, or right above it. The pain will worsen with activity, especially when you run or climb the stairs. As with plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis pain worsens over time. And, if you delay treatment for too long, you could even experience a tendon rupture.
Treating Tendinitis
We can treat Achilles tendinitis with rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE). But, after 48 hours, if this approach doesn’t resolve the foot pain and baseball players still need relief, we can go further, providing splints or braces to immobilize the affected leg and speed up the healing process. Stretching and exercises your calf muscles and tendon can also help with healing, while anti-inflammatory medications can support your recovery.
Foot Pain and Baseball: Sprains, Strains, Fractures and Stress Fractures
Like any sport, when you experience foot pain during or after a baseball game, it could be a sign of injury. And sprains, strains and fractures are all common concerns in this sport, whether players are sliding into home plate or pivoting quickly to avoid getting tagged out during an attempted steal. Now, these injuries require different treatment protocols, but we’ve grouped them together because they present with common symptoms, including pain, swelling and difficulties bearing weight. Want to rule out a fracture? You’ll need an x-ray, available without the wait in our Massapequa podiatry practice.
Treatment Options
We treat sprains and strains with RICE. For a stress fracture—a common overuse injury—you’ll take a similar approach. But for other fractures of the foot or ankle bones, we will have to carefully assess the injury. Immobilization will be part of your recovery, but you may be able to get around in a walking boot. In some cases, where the bone is displaced or unstable, you may need surgery to ensure proper healing and a full recovery.
Turf Toe
This injury describes a sprain of your big toe joint; it’s usually caused by pushing off on hard, artificial surfaces so this type of foot pain will be more common for baseball players who compete on turf fields. Symptoms include pain, swelling and bruising; you also won’t be able to move your toe. This injury is graded on 3 levels, with 3 describing the most severe injury. With a grade 3 sprain, the tissue in your toe will be completely torn, and walking will feel almost impossible.
Treatment Options
We can treat grade 1 turf toe injuries with RICE. You’ll stay off your feet for several days, but then you should be able to return to play—we’ll simply make sure you wear stiffer-soled shoes to protect your toe. If you have a grade 2 injury, we will put you in a walking boot for about a week; afterward, we’ll tape the affected toe to prevent reinjury. And, if you have a grade 3 turf toe injury, we’ll need to immobilize your foot for a longer period of time. You may also require physical therapy in order to complete your recovery.
Foot Pain and Baseball: Sports Injury Care in Massapequa, NY
Foot pain during or after sports play is not a normal part of the game—if you’re trying to push through discomfort, you could actually be worsening an existing injury. So, what should you do if your ankles, feet, heels or toes hurt this baseball season? Immediately take yourself out of practice or the game and call our office at 516-804-9038. (You can also contact us online request an appointment.) When you come into the office, we’ll conduct a comprehensive exam to determine the cause of your foot pain, so we can get you back into baseball play as soon as possible.