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 JULY 25, 2008 Lower Extremity Strain in Olympic Athletes If you've got pre-Olympic fever and are out there hitting the pavement jogging or walking, take care in where you place your feet. The harder the surface you jog or walk on, the harder it is on your lower extremities. Former Olympic-class race walker Howard Palamarchuk, D.P.M., Director of the Sports Medicine program at Temple University's School of Podiatric Medicine, knows firsthand the strain that running, walking, and jumping can have on the lower extremities. "A universal complaint among the athletes this year has been the choice of pavement materials for the long-distance courses in Beijing," says Palamarchuk. "Most are made of cast concrete pavement stones - like the ones used on American driveways. It has tremendous impact on the bones of the feet and legs." The legs, feet, and ankles bear up to 1 million pounds of pressure during 1 hour of strenuous activity, he says. Because of the repetitive nature of jogging or walking and the high number of strides per mile, you may suffer lower body overuse injuries. You may be sidelined by bone fractures, torn or stretched ligaments and tendons, arch pain, ankle sprains, or shin splints. All of these conditions can be alleviated by supporting the foot. Try a commercial arch support first. If that does not correct the problem, have a sports podiatrist make you an orthotic device. And when you can, choose a softer surface over a hard one to jog or walk on. |
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