Olympic Overload: More Than The Feet Can Handle

With the Olympics over now, let’s take a look back and discuss some injuries that happened. It’s difficult to see an Olympian injured. Yet they want to continue in their chosen sport for that opportunity to a medal. Athletes aren’t strangers to over-use injuries. There is no way they can maintain the rigorous training schedules they do without pushing themselves to just short of the breaking point. There comes a time when every sprint, jump, hurdle, twist and turn takes them one step closer to landing out of play.

It’s understood that they have a desire, drive and talent that far surpasses that of most people. But at what point does it become the wrong decision to try to continue and play through what could become a serious injury? Leading up to the London games, several US athletes struggled their way through training with lost time and injuries. Jason Burnett, Jon Horton, Chellsie Memmel, Sam Mikulak, McKayla Maroney and others had to deal with more than their fair share of injuries. These are all important athletes whether they were at the London games or not, they were contenders.

Plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury that most athletes just don’t seem to be able to avoid. Going into the games only means this condition is going to get worse. Because of the nature of plantar fasciitis and other over-use injuries such as ankle sprains and stress fractures, it is difficult to rehab an athlete in a short period of time. So athletes either sit out, or press on. However, overuse injuries require rest in order for the healing process to take place.

Juan Carlos Navarro a star guard for Spain is out with plantar fasciitis. It is unknown how long it will take to rehab this injury, but it cut Spain’s basketball team to the quick to lose him to injury as both their starting guards are out.

Nene who made the 2012 Brazilian cut is also currently being bothered by plantar fasciitis. If he re-aggravates an old injury, he risks missing time from his regular season with the Washington Wizards. This will have Wizards fans in an uproar, since he only arrived last year and missed part of last year’s season. There isn’t much time between the end of the Summer Olympics and the start of the NBA season; hardly enough time to rehab an overuse injury that may be made more severe because of continued play.
Contact Dr. Vargas at Foot & Ankle Associates if you have a foot or ankle injury, so that you can have it treated quickly and effectively.