Unit 3 Part III The Foot
Recognition and Management of Specific Injuries
 Foot problems are associated with:
o Improper footwear
o Poor hygiene
o Anatomical structural deviations
o Abnormal stresses
o Sports place exceptional stress on feet
ASSIGNMENT:
Pick one injury and write a SOAP note injury evaluation
S: Subjective- non-measurable, what happened, when, type of pain, hear a pop etc
O: Objective- measurable- what others can see, swelling, special tests, deformity
A: Assessment- what it is
P: Plan- What you will do as the athletic trainer
New Vocab Words
 Apophysitis:
o Inflammation of an apophysis (tubercle)
 Apophysis:
o Bony outgrowth, such as a tubercle or tuberosity
 Exostosis:
o Benign bony outgrowth that protrudes from the surface of a bone and usually
capped by cartilage
Plantar Fasciitis
 Common in athletes and nonathletes
 Catch all term used for pain in proximal arch and heel
o Attributed to heel spurs, plantar fascia irritation, and bursitis
 Dense, broad band of connective tissue attaches calcaneus and fans out over the plantar
aspect of the foot
 Maintains stability of the foot and bracing the longitudinal arch
Foot Rehabilitation
General Body Conditioning
 Because a period of non-weight bearing is common, __________________________
means of conditioning must be introduced
 Pool running & upper body ergometer
 General strengthening and flexibility as allowed by injury
Weight Bearing
 If unable to walk without a limp- crutch or can walking may be introduced
 Poor gait mechanics __________________________ other joints within the kinetic chain
 Progressing to full weight bearing __________________________________ is suggested
Joint Mobilizations
 Can be very useful in normalizing joint motions
Flexibility
 Must maintain or re-establish _________________________________ of the foot
 Full range of motion is critical
 Stretching of the plantar fascia and Achilles is very important for a number of conditions
Strengthening
 A number of exercises can be performed
o Writing alphabet
o Picking up objects
o Ankle circumduction
o Gripping and spreading toes
o Towel gathering
o Towel Scoop
Neuromuscular Control (NC)
 Dictates movement strategies w/in the kinetic chain
o Weakness, proprioceptive deficits and ROM deficits challenge the ability to
maintain center of gravity w/in the base of support w/out losing balance
 Must be able to _________________ to changing surfaces
 Rehab plans are focusing more on closed kinetic chain activities (in contact)
 Exercises should incorporate walking, running, jumping in multiple planes and on
multiple surfaces
Foot Orthotics
 Common practice - used to control abnormal compensatory movement of the foot by
“bringing the floor up ________________________________”
 Works to place foot in neutral position, preventing compensatory motion
 Three types
o Pad and soft flexible felt - soft inserts
o Semi-rigid orthotics- composed of flexible thermoplastics, rubber or leather
o Functional or rigid orthotic - made from hard plastic or from neutral casting
Functional Progression
 Patients must engage in a functional progression to _______________________regain
the ability to walk, jog, run, change directions and hop
 Proper techniques at each stage (Kinetic Chain)