Working With Your Podiatrist

Working With Your Podiatrist

American Ninja Warrior Training: 4 Possible Foot Problems to Be Aware Of

Lillian Kelley

On the NBC show American Ninja Warrior, athletes have shown amazing physical skills and prowess through various types of obstacle courses. If you're interested in becoming the next American Ninja Warrior, then you must undergo rigorous training that takes a toll on your whole body. The unique training that is performed can have an impact particularly on your feet. Your feet are an essential part of the training, and being aware of possible injuries can help you prevent them or heal from them quickly. Before you get deep in training, browse through the following four foot injuries you should be careful to prevent.

Ingrown Toenails

They may seem like minor injuries, but ingrown toenails can cause serious pain and impact your performance on several stages of the American Ninja Warrior course. When training for these courses, you may want to have tight shoes that give you control and grip through obstacles. However, tight shoes can actually be one of the causes of an ingrown toenail. Trauma to the nail may also cause an ingrown nail to form.

One of the easiest treatments for ingrown toenails is surgery. During surgery, a podiatrist will cut off the ingrown pieces of the nail and allow it to grow back straight again. To prevent these problems from occurring in the future, you need to wear a shoe that fits well and pair it with comfortable socks. After the treatment is performed, you will have instant relief with very little pain. This will allow you to train and use your feet without any negative factors influencing them.

Tendon Strains

A lot of training obstacles for American Ninja Warrior require speed, balance, and agility. When you use all of these skills at once, you are putting a lot of strain on your feet. If the pain gets bad, you may have strained a tendon. One of the best treatments for a strained tendon is rest. This may cut into your training time, but putting more pressure on the strain can make it worse or possibly result in a torn tendon. When visiting a podiatrist, the doctor can help you through a variety of exercises and motions to help heal the tendon. Pain medication may also be given to reduce swelling and pains while walking.

Bone Marrow Edema

Some performers on American Ninja Warrior will train or compete in bare feet or when using minimalist shoes. If you train like this, you are not giving your feet the proper cushion they need to support the weight and impact of training. Eventually, a lot of pressure is applied to your bones and can result in a condition known as bone marrow edema. This occurs when fluid builds up in the bones, and it eventually creates a lot of pain. If this injury gets serious, you may need treatment by a doctor. This could include bed rest, surgery, or accessories to help with your walking pain. You could lose months of training by not wearing proper shoes and protecting your feet at all times while training.

Heel Spurs

Running and putting a lot of impact on your feet can cause a common condition known as heel spurs. Often found in athletes, a heel spur injury is a build up of calcium on the bottom of the heel bone. When pressing down on your heel through walking, you may experience sharp pains, especially when putting a lot of weight down. A podiatrist can use a variety of methods to help you decrease the pain of the spurs. These include special footwear, footwear inserts, or special braces worn directly over the heel. Physical therapy and exercises may also be used to help with the foot and pain management, and surgery may be recommended.

In some cases, all of these injureis may be hard to avoid. By communicating with a podiatrist, you can insure that your feet stay healthy through each step of the training process.

If you have any foot pain or injury before you even begin training, it's a good idea to contact a podiatrist prior to starting a regimen. You can have a full exam and receive tips on preventing an injury from getting worse. Speak with a representative from an establishment like Foot First Podiatry Centers to get started.


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Working With Your Podiatrist

When you have an ingrown toenail, it can be tempting to take care of the problem on your own. Armed with a set of tweezers and some nail clippers, you might be ready to get in there and take care of business. Unfortunately, a few missteps could lead to a serious infection. I have made this mistake myself, and it almost cost me my toe. I hope that as you evaluate your own foot problems that you will remember how valuable a podiatrist can be. Your foot doctor can inspect your problem and recommend the proper course of action. Read through my website to learn more.