Field Hockey Podiatry

Field Hockey injuries

Hockey requires a lot of speed, agility and endurance to play the game. This means that your feet will be getting placed under constant stress and load so your feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back are at risk of sustaining an injury.

Risk factors for Hockey Related Injuries:

• Not wearing the appropriate hockey specific footwear
• Foot and ankle problems such as flat feet or an excessively high arched foot.

This is because flat and high arched feet prevent you from absorbing shock and effectively. As a result, the shock gets transmitted into the joints in your ankle, knee, hip and lower back; this can cause overuse injuries.

• Training errors

i.e. increasing your level or duration of play too rapidly; not stretching and warming up prior to play; changing the type of surface you play on.

• Previous injury to your lower extremity
• Prolonged running on artificial turf

Common Lower Extremity Injuries Caused by Hockey

Similar with many other sporting injuries, hockey injuries can be either acute or chronic.

At the Foot and Ankle Clinic, we commonly see hockey related injuries which have arisen from poor foot or knee alignment. This therefore makes the client more susceptible to chronic injuries from increased stresses on the surrounding muscles and tendons, joints and bones. Therefore in order to reduce your risk of injury, it’s important to wear shoes and insoles with good support and cushioning.

Acute Hockey Injuries

1. Ankle sprains
2. Fractures to the foot and ankle
3. Turf toe

Chronic (Overuse) Hockey Injuries

1. Shin Splints
2. Plantar fasciitis (Heel pain)
3. Achilles Tendinopathy/Tendonitis
4. Cuboid syndrome

Chronic and overuse injuries are much more commonly seen then acute injuries in hockey. Chronic injuries can worsen over time if not managed appropriately and frequently reach the point where you may have to stop playing hockey. That is why it is so important that if you notice you have a problem with your feet, ankles and knees; you seek the help of a podiatrist sooner rather then later. Early intervention can minimise the risk of you missing time out of playing the game you love and help improve your function overall.

At the Foot and Ankle Clinic our highly qualified team of Podiatrists are all members of the Australian Podiatry Association and offer a combined 50 years’ experience. They are trained to diagnose and effectively treat hockey injuries via a range of treatments. We can tailor a treatment program to relieve and prevent your symptoms in order to keep you on the hockey field.

Put your feet in our hands! See us today in Chadstone, Moe, Sale, Traralgon, Warragul & Online Store and Retail Enquiries. NO REFERRAL NEEDED!.