Cycling is an intense sport that is physically demanding. It's important to use proper equipment to protect your body from harm due to posture problems and the repetitive motion of cycling. The sport can be particularly hard on your feet, especially if you don't wear proper shoes and maintain good form. Stress on the feet can cause foot and knee pain. One injury you can get from cycling is sesamoiditis. These are the symptoms you notice and how the condition is treated:
Symptoms Of Sesamoiditis
Sesamoid bones are bones that are attached to tendons or muscle rather than other bones. You have two of these bones at the base of your big toe. The force of pressing against the pedals when cycling can cause the tendons attached to your sesamoid bones to become inflamed and irritated. When this happens, you will notice pain at the base of your big toe and you might also have difficulty moving your toe. There could also be redness and swelling present.
The pain might come on gradually as the damage to the tendons gets worse, but if you actually fracture one of the sesamoid bones, the pain may be sudden and intense. You may initially notice the pain when cycling, but as the condition gets worse, you may have difficulty walking or wearing shoes due to the pain and discomfort.
Treatments For Sesamoiditis
Pain in your feet from cycling shouldn't be ignored. Instead, you may want to visit a podiatric sports medicine doctor for an evaluation. A podiatrist experienced in sports injuries can evaluate the problem and offer solutions for treatment while taking into account how your feet are treated when training and during competitions.
You may receive advice on the correct body mechanics while cycling so stress is not focused on your feet. You may also be advised on the best type of shoes to wear for cycling considering your injuries and any foot abnormalities you have. The podiatrist can also make custom orthotics for you that relieve some of the pressure on the balls of your feet while cycling.
Wearing shoes with wide toes is important during recovery. Your podiatrist may also have you wear toe spacers to keep your toes spread apart. Your big toe may be splinted or taped to hold it in position. Depending on the extent of your injury, you may need to wear a cast to keep your foot and toe immobilized while the injury heals.
Rest is important for proper healing. When your tendons are inflamed and damaged, it is easy to enlarge the tiny tears in the tissues. This means the condition will only get worse if you continue training at a hard pace. When you're ready to resume training, you'll need to start off slowly and wear the orthotics prescribed by your podiatrist for support.
Sesamoiditis can be very painful. You may need to have corticosteroid injections to relieve swelling and pain. If your pain is milder, over-the-counter pain relievers along with ice packs may be all you need for relief. Sesamoiditis gradually heals with rest and proper foot support but more serious cases may need surgery. Seeing a podiatrist early on is important for a quick recovery and reduced risk of causing serious damage to the tendons in your foot.
Check out a website like http://www.elmhurstpodiatry.com for more information and assistance.
Share1 September 2017
When I started working out every day, I encountered a strange problem. My feet always seemed to hurt, and I didn't know what to do. If it wasn't an ingrown toenail, it was a sore arch or a throbbing heel. Instead of writing off the problem as a simple inconvenience, I decided to meet with a podiatrist who could diagnose the issues. As I talked with the professional, I learned that my foot problems probably stemmed from different issues, and he targeted each one with a different treatment. After a few weeks, my feet felt a lot better. This blog is all about how a podiatrist can help you to solve your foot problems.
