Baseball Season in Full Swing

Baseball Season in Full Swing

It’s that time of year again, for America’s favorite pastime to start! We have been waiting patiently for baseball season to start! Who are you rooting for, the O’s or the Nats? Here at Frederick Foot & Ankle there are no questions, we are the official podiatrists for the Frederick Keys, who are the local team for the Baltimore Orioles. So go O’s!

These players have been training hard in the off season and preparing for the opening games for months. However, it is important for the athletes to give their bodies a break after the season ends and before they are called into preseason! This allows the body to properly heal and rest to avoid any overuse injuries down the road.

Overuse injuries develop over a span of time and caused by repetitive stress or microtrauma to tendons, muscles, bones or joints. In these elite athletes, it is necessary to recognize the sign of overuse injuries before it puts a premature end to their season.

Common Overuse Injuries in Baseball: Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles tendinitis is caused by consistent microtrauma to the Achilles tendon, which is very common in a rigorous baseball season. This repetitive damage can cause micro-tears to occur in the tendon, signaling your body to send inflammatory factors to the area to help. However, because this trauma can occur persistently over the course of a long season, sometimes your body signals never tell the inflammatory factors to stop coming to the area of the tears. This leads to chronic inflammation in your Achilles tendon, symptoms include extreme tenderness or sensitivity in the area. This can make walking a difficult task, let alone sprinting around the bases.

Players who try to perform at high levels too quickly at the beginning of the season, are extremely susceptible to Achilles Tendonitis. Treatment is very simple rest, and ice are key factors in preventing the progression of the tendonitis. Also the use of heel inserts or heel pads help in most situations. Make sure you consult with your local podiatrist before placing heel pads or heel inserts into your cleats. A proper biomechanical and foot evaluation are needed so the inserts and pads are fitting properly to your certain foot type and diagnosis.

If you or anyone you know has Achilles tendonitis or has any other foot or ankle pain from the start of the spring season, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment at Frederick Foot & Ankle, at any of our 2 offices in Frederick, MD or Urbana, MD.

By: Yenisey Yanes