According to the MassGeneral Hospital for Children, injuries of the feet are most common in sports that involve kicking and running, such as gymnastics. Although foot pain can be because of mild conditions such as calluses, it can also be caused by more severe injuries like fractures. It's important to understand what causes foot pain to occur during gymnastics and how it can be remedied.
Symptoms
Gymnastics-related foot pain can vary from a mild annoyance to a severe debilitation. Physical signs of injury can be completely absent or can include point tenderness, bruising, inflammation, warmth, redness of the skin and swelling of joints in the feet. Running often makes foot pain worse. You can also notice instability, decreased flexibility in the Achilles tendon and complete or partial loss of foot mobility.
Causes
Foot pain that develops during gymnastics can occur when you twist your foot inward, creating tension in the ligaments and muscles. You can also experience pain if you strain or sprain a muscle or ligament in the foot with the sudden, forceful exertions common with gymnastics. Painful fractures can develop in the foot if your muscles are overtired and allow shock impact to be absorbed in your bones. Some medical conditions such as Sever's disease and Achilles tendinitis can also cause foot pain.
Treatment Options
Rest your foot to help reduce inflammation and pain. Apply a cold pack or ice pack to the affected area for about 20 minutes at a time to ease pain, swelling and inflammation. Wrap your foot with an elastic bandage. Elevate your foot above your heart so gravity can encourage fluid drainage, which will help treat swelling and pain. See a doctor if your foot pain is severe. In extreme cases, you may require surgical treatment.
Dangers
Ignoring foot pain or doing gymnastics before your foot has completely healed could lead to further injury such as large, hard-to-heal, stress fractures. It can also prevent the injury from ever healing properly. Left untreated, some conditions such as Achilles tendinitis can progress into a degenerative condition called Achilles tendinosis, which weakens the tendons and makes them more susceptible to severe injury.
