How to Treat Sore Feet After a Game of Basketball
by Ida Carroll
Meeting up with friends for a game of basketball on the weekend can be a great thing to do. If, however, you spent most of your time sedentary in an office job and then you find yourself bouncing around the basketball court for hours at a time on a Sunday, this can sometimes create some degree of foot pain. Fortunately, there are some things that you can do if your feet and ankles hurt after a game of basketball. Here are some ideas to help.
RICE. No, this doesn't involve taking a packet of basmati from the kitchen cupboard and applying it to your feet. RICE is actually an acronym that stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. If you're lucky, all your feet will need is some good rest for them to feel better. But if the pain continues, you can try icing them every half an hour or so (frozen peas from the freezer will do), wearing compression socks and elevating your feet with a simple footstool to ensure that you are encouraging circulation, which in turn encourages recovery.
Switch your shoes. Running around a basketball court and jumping for the ball requires completely different footwear from your everyday trainers, or even from the sports shoes you might be wearing at the gym. The best basketball shoes will typically have a thick and spongey heel, which will absorb the shock of jumping and landing. Many basketball shoes are also taller than your typical running shoes to offer extra ankle support. For the best shoes, book an appointment with a sports podiatrist who will measure your feet properly and recommend particular shoes for your foot issues.
See a podiatrist for continued pain. The two methods above should sort out any immediate pain you have after a game of basketball, but if you find that the pain continues or gets worse, then it's time to see a professional podiatrist. This sustained pain could be a result of some bad habits over time that affect the biomechanical functionality of the feet. The first thing a podiatrist will do is actually diagnose the cause of the pain so that you can move forward with treatment. Treatment could be something such as an orthotic device that will help you to manage the weight distribution on your feet so that pain after basketball becomes a thing of the past.
For more information, contact a sports podiatrist.
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About Me
If you are like me, you have probably been in embarrassed in the past about having thick, yellow or otherwise unsightly toenails. You may have even suffered pain from your toenails. Those statements used to describe me, but with the help of my family and podiatrist, my toenails have returned to a strong, clear and beautiful state. The journey wasn't always easy, and it forced me to ask a lot of questions and do a lot of research. As a result, I learned everything you can find in these blog posts. I see other people with painful looking toenails on the street, and I want to help them with some pointers, but walking up to strangers – however well intentioned – is a bit beyond my comfort levels so I decided to create this blog. I hope it helps and entertains you!