Summer is flying by and whether kids and teens are willing to face it, the new school year is starting soon. That means school sports seasons are approaching quickly, along with pre-season conditioning and practices. This period for conditioning is important, since it helps teen athletes get their bodies used to handling the stress and strain of their activities. Foot conditioning to prevent stress fractures is particularly necessary to avoid injuries that could ruin your teen’s sports season.
Stress fractures are common overuse injuries that develop when feet deal with repetitive, excessive stress, particularly from things like sports. Jumping too quickly into heavy training and sports competitions are a great way for your teen to end up sidelined at the beginning of the season with cracked bones and serious foot pain. Worse, pushing through the discomfort of a stress fracture could result in a complete break later, forcing your child to sit on the bench for much more of the season.
Conditioning slowly trains your child’s lower limbs to deal with the pressures and stressors of their sports, allowing them to build up strength and endurance. This is why your teen should never skip conditioning and other pre-season practices. They are crucial for helping your child prepare his or her body for sports.
Ideally, pre-season sports conditioning covers this for the lower limbs, helping your child’s feet prepare for their individual activities. Unfortunately, not all conditioning makes provisions for the feet. Making an effort to help your teen condition his or her feet on their own can help your child avoid the pain and misery of being forced to sit out the early season with a stress fracture. Simple exercises like heel raises, heel lowers, ankle circles, picking marbles up with the toes, and regular Achilles stretches can go a long way in helping your teen prepare his or her feet for the sports season.
Most stress fractures are highly preventable through conditioning, so there’s no reason your teen athlete should have to suffer with this kind of foot pain. Our team at Absolute Foot Care Specialists can help you and your teen learn to condition feet correctly this school sports season. Contact our Las Vegas offices at (702) 839-2010 or online for more information or an appointment.
