Sports foot injuries

Before the season starts, look up which sports the foot-health groups name for foot trouble. Repetitive play is the reason: according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, some sports give feet and ankles a real beating. For readers in Wood Dale, the first answer costs nothing and needs no skill.

Five questions from the field

• Which sports cause the most foot injuries? Start here, because it is a free read that frames the rest.
• Do sport-specific shoes prevent injuries? For basketball, tennis and volleyball, APMA's common foot injuries are sprains, stress fractures and tendinitis, and the shoe it recommends has a thick, stiff sole that supports the foot on impact. APMA's advice on picking sports shoes lays this out.
• What causes pain under the ball of the big toe? A reading question that asks nothing of you but attention.
• What does peroneal tendonitis feel like? Also read-only, and a useful check before you decide whether to rest or play on.
• How long does turf toe take to heal? The Cleveland Clinic page on turf toe explains what it is, its causes, symptoms and treatment.

What can be undone

Sitting out a game can be reversed by playing the next one, and a shoe can be swapped back. That makes rest and footwear the low-risk steps in this group, while a lasting problem is a matter for a professional.

Neighbouring groups

The orthotics and footwear group covers running shoes, which sits beside the shoe question here. The ankle sprains group covers sprains, which the APMA list above includes.