Lower Westchester Foot & Ankle, located in White Plains, New York, specializes in the treatment of sports injuries of all kinds, ranging from minor tears, stress fractures and ankle sprains to Jones fractures and Achilles tendon ruptures. The practice’s team, led by board-recognized surgeon and renowned sports medicine specialist, Dr. Ari Rubinstein, provide expert diagnosis, treatment, and management, ensuring that patients perform at their best, every day. In addition, Dr. Rubinstein helps athletes reduce their risk of future injuries through education in selecting the appropriate exercises, using the right equipment, and warming up properly before a workout. If you have injured yourself during a performance and are experiencing pain, stiffness, or restricted movement in the affected area, schedule an evaluation at Lower Westchester Foot & Ankle. The practice treats patients from Scarsdale, Ardsley, Hartsdale, Harrison, Eastchester, and Mamaroneck.
Sports Medicine Q & A
When Should Someone Seek Professional Sports Medicine Treatment?
A person should seek professional help for sports injury when:
- They cannot tolerate weight or pressure or motion in the area of injury
- The injury causes unusual numbness, prolonged swelling, or severe pain
- A past injury becomes swollen and painful
- A joint that has been sore for a long time shows new signs of weakness
What foot and ankle injuries are treated with sports medicine?
At Lower Westchester Foot & Ankle, you can receive comprehensive sports medicine performance training and treatment for a host of injuries that affect your lower extremities. Sports medicine is beneficial to treat:
- Turf toe
- Shin splints
- Stress fractures
- Ankle and Achilles tendonitis
- Pronation issues, like overpronation
- Strains and sprains, especially ankle sprains
- Chronic injuries, including ankle instability
- Metatarsal problems, including pain in the ball of your foot
Whether you have a functional or mechanical issue, or an acute injury that occurred during your sport, Dr. Rubinstein can help you return to your activities with few, if any, limitations. Dr. Rubinstein can even help with skin and nail issues that affect athletes, including athlete’s foot and fungal nails.
How might foot mechanics be hampering my sports performance?
Misalignments of the foot and ankle are common and can decrease athletic performance, as well as, lead to injury. If your sport involves standing on your feet – which is almost everything from soccer to softball – a sports medicine exam with top-rated podiatrist Dr. Ari Rubinstein can improve performance and prevent debilitating foot and ankle problems. Most foot and ankle conditions develop over time due to wear and tear. A foot that moves improperly may not initially be problematic, but can eventually cause a multitude of issues, such as achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, ankle instability, ankle sprains, and shin splints.
Can custom orthotics help my game?
Custom-made orthotic inserts are essential for the serious athlete. They can remedy hyperpronation and under-pronation so the foot properly absorbs shock and maintains proper alignment. In addition, the benefits of properly aligned feet and ankles carry over to the legs, hips, and spine.
What is gait analysis and how can it help?
Gait analysis helps to identify abnormalities in the way you walk and run. Dr. Rubinstein will observe you walking on a treadmill. In doing so, he can detect any biomechanical issues that could lead to overuse injuries. Based on his observation, Dr. Rubinstein diagnosis these issues and prescribes the best footwear and appropriate exercises.
Can Dr. Rubinstein make athletic shoe recommendations?
Absolutely. Choosing the right athletic shoes for your individual foot and sport can both improve performance and prevent injury. Everyone’s foot is shaped differently, which is why a personalized and professional recommendation is so important.
In addition, the sport played obviously influences shoe type, as well. For example, sports played on a court, such as basketball, tennis or volleyball, entail quick forward, backward, and sideways movement. Therefore, these require shoes that have strong soles that grip the floor. Runners, on the other hand, need shoes that are light and provide extra cushioning and traction.
When Is Surgery Necessary?
Athletes who want and need to get back active quickly and patients who have experienced a severe or repeated injury that does not heal following other treatments can often be helped with surgery.
A stress fracture, for example, in an athlete’s ankle or foot may not be able to heal for a year or more. A surgical technique can be used to compress the bone and can be combined with therapies like bone grafting and bone marrow aspiration to stimulate healing and unite the fractured bones more quickly.
Surgical treatments often offer more effective deformity correction, a decreased likelihood of relapse, and a quicker road to recovery. If you’d like to find out if a surgical solution is the best option for getting you back in the game, book online at Lower Westchester Foot & Ankle today!