The pain you feel now could have been caused by an injury years ago. At Alliance Foot & Ankle Specialists, Dr. Richard Nichols and Dr. Joseph Harvey see old injuries return to haunt patients all the time! There’s good news: We have ways of banishing those ghosts. About 3.5 million kids and teens endure sports injuries each year. Often, those injuries heal, the kid continues to play, grows up, and doesn’t think too much about it again. Until one day, playing a game of catch in the backyard with their own child, they jump, and all the pain of the original injury explodes in their foot or ankle.
Common Foot and Ankle Sports Injuries
Many common sports injuries require the care of a qualified podiatrist. After all, your feet and ankles are important when it comes to running, jumping, biking, and many other movements you make during play.
- Ankle sprains/breaks
- Fractures
- Overuse injuries
- Strains
- Achilles tendonitis
- Turf toe
- Plantar fasciitis
Several of those injuries can lead to pain later in life. For example, if you sprain your ankle repeatedly, you may develop instability, which is a chronic condition. Similarly, problems with your Achilles tendon when you’re young may redevelop and become chronic as you age.
Whether your old sports injury has led to arthritis or some other form of chronic pain, we may be able to help. We offer several treatments that can help you strengthen and heal so that you can get back to living life more comfortably.
Implantable Neurostimulator Pulse Generator
One of our most successful methods of treating patients with chronic pain is a cutting-edge technology that interrupts the pain signals from your brain. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s a real and effective method of pain treatment that doesn’t involve drugs or creams or surgery.
If your doctor thinks that an implantable neurostimulator pulse generator might work to treat the pain you’re feeling from an old sports injury, here’s what you can expect:
An Evaluation
Before suggesting the neurostimulator, Dr. Nichols or Dr. Harvey performs a thorough evaluation, so that they have a clear understanding of the cause of your pain. You may need treatments to address an underlying problem -- but the neurostimulator may help with your pain in the meantime.
A Test Run
Before a neurostimulator is implanted, you’ll have a temporary set-up to make sure the treatment is right for you. You wear a small device on your ear for 7-10 days. The device has four small electrodes that attach to your ear. It generates gentle electrical frequencies to stimulate some of your nerves.
Generally, our patients tolerate the device quite well. Few people report discomfort. It only takes about 15 minutes for your doctor to set it up.
If you have foot or ankle pain and suspect that an old sports injury is the cause, book an appointment with one of the experts at Alliance Foot & Ankle Specialists. There are treatments that can help, even if you were injured decades ago!
We have two locations, one in Grapevine and one in Keller. Simply call the location that suits you better, and we’ll be happy to schedule your appointment.