Prevent A Future Injury After Foot Surgery: What You Should Know
After you have had foot surgery or a major foot injury, your foot may not be as strong as it was pre-injury. Even though you've healed and been through physical therapy, you could still re-injure yourself if you are not careful. You don't have to baby that foot forever, but there are some preventative things you should do to prevent a re-injury. Read on for some helpful information to prevent a future injury.
Stretch Often
Stretch your foot or ankle prior to doing any type of athletic sport or exercise. Stretching keeps your ligaments from getting too tight and can prevent injury. Stretching is good for every part of your body to keep it flexible. Perform ankle stretches by rotating your ankle in a circle both clockwise and then counter-clockwise. Point your foot up towards the ceiling and then down towards the floor. You can stretch your calf and ankle, as well as the arch in the foot by pressing your foot into the base of the wall and putting your weight into the foot to give it a good stretch.
Wear Supportive Footwear
You're going to need to wear the right footwear that is supportive and offers enough cushion for your feet. Don't wear shoes that don't offer arch support, or that don't offer enough support around your ankles or the rest of your foot. Flip-flops are shoes that are not very supportive and may cause problems for your feet. Make sure the shoes you wear have arch support, as well as ankle and toe support. High heels are also shoes that can cause injury to your feet. High heels push your feet too far forward and can leave you unsteady on your feet, which could lead to sprained ankles or other foot issues such as bunions.
Be More Aware
You need to be more aware of where you walk, what shoes you wear, and pay attention to any pain you may be feeling. You need to be more aware of your feet and ankles to prevent a future problem. If you feel pain at all from your shoes or whatever it is you are doing, you should get into the podiatrist for treatment that may be needed.
If you have had foot surgery, you need to take care of your feet to prevent re-injury. Talk to your podiatrist about what else you can do to prevent re-injuring yourself after foot surgery.