Common Spring Foot and Ankle Injuries and How to Prevent Them

11th Mar 2025

Spring is a good time to get out as the weather is much milder. Coming out of the winter, people feel they need to get fit. A lot of the injuries are related to not planning or warming up well or pushing yourself too quickly into sports without the appropriate pre-exercise routines or appropriate footwear check.

There are also a lot of professional sports such as tennis happening on TV, and patients often feel like they should give it a go and develop problems. More recently, racket sports such as pickleball and padel tennis have become popular in cities where people can play the sport later in the evening. They are often tired and can develop injuries quite quickly and suddenly.

The most common sports injuries expected in the foot and ankle include ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, stress fractures, and generalised blisters and foot pain from poor footwear.

Ankle Sprains

An ankle sprain or an inversion sprain is when you twist your ankle either on an uneven surface, or a curve or whilst playing sports such as football or tennis. You suddenly feel unstable, and you go over on your ankle damaging the ligaments mostly of the outer ankle and sometimes the inner ankle. These sprains can be graded into either stretching of the ligaments, partial tears, or complete tears.

The initial treatment for all ankle sprains would be rest, ice, compression, and elevation, and taking anti-inflammatories. If you cannot weight bear through the ankle, then an urgent X-ray is usually recommended to rule out any obvious fracture. Should the swelling not settle and the pain continue over a week, then you would need to see a specialist.

An MRI scan may be requested at that time to assess for the level of tear of ligaments and damage to any tissues. Sometimes stress fractures cannot be picked up on X-ray. They may need MRI scan.

Your specialist may decide to immobilise you in a boot or put you on a rehabilitation plan gradually with your physiotherapist. Occasionally, more advanced treatments such as specialised injections may be required or surgery to either repair the ligaments or fractures.

Plantar Fasciitis

This is a common injury related to the fact that people do not stretch very well or use poorly shock-absorbed footwear for activities such as running, sprinting, jumping. Being overweight can also cause plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs under the arch and the heel. It usually gets inflamed or partially torn near the heel and can become more chronic if it’s not treated within the first six weeks.

Initial treatments can include icing, stretching, and taking anti-inflammatories and using a cushioned shoe. Sometimes an insole orthotic may be needed. If you have flat feet, this may be more necessary.

Shockwave therapy, which increases the blood flow, or PRP injections if there is a tear can be indicated in more severe cases.

Sometimes you may need to be immobilised in a boot.

Steroid injection may also be used. Mostly, the treatment is conservative but requires different levels of input depending on the level of your symptoms and the length of your symptoms.

Achilles Tendinitis

This usually happens due to the collagen fibres of the Achilles being a little rigid and being injured during stretch. This stretch may be running, walking, sprinting. Typically, the tendon feels very tight first thing in the morning. It relieves after some activity. There’s usually sometimes a lump that can develop in the mid-substance of the Achilles due to the inflammation. An ultrasound can check for increased blood flow and thickness of the tendon.

Treatments include eccentric stretching exercises with physiotherapy, appropriate footwear and mechanics and orthotics. Should that fail, then sometimes a high volume injection of saline can be indicated. It may take a couple of months to fully resolve, and therefore specialist care and guidance is needed.

Stress Fractures

These are common in all groups of patients, and usually, they are either related to having normal bone with abnormal stresses such as jumping and distance running or inappropriate footwear that don’t absorb shock or in weakening bone in osteopenic patients where they have normal stresses but slightly weaker bone. The metatarsals are the most common areas to have stress fractures, although all bones of the foot and ankle can develop it.

You typically involve swelling and pain of sudden onset. You will need to rest it either in a rigid shoe or wear an air cast boot for anything up to six weeks.

Rehabilitation in terms of return to activity should be gradually performed to prevent recurrent stress fractures. Once the swelling has subsided, one can return to sports. They would usually heal uneventfully.

Blisters and Foot Pain from Poor Footwear

Poor footwear fitting or older shoes can cause blisters. These can cause considerable pain, especially if they get infected and need antibiotics. Specialised socks and use of lubricants like Vaseline could reduce some of the risk of blisters. Also, you need to protect your toenails from hitting the end of your shoe and keep them trimmed. Treatment mainly involves home remedies of protecting and covering the blisters and not peeling them back to reduce risk of infection is sufficient.

FAQs

What is the most common foot injury seen in spring?

Ankle sprains and stress fractures are probably the most common injuries seen. This is due to sudden return to sporting activities from a hiatus during the winter months. Patients do not stretch or strengthen, and they’re generally weaker in their function and go back to activity without any preplanning.

How can I prevent plantar fasciitis when walking more?

It’s all about the right activity for the right shoe. If you’re walking distance, you should have a sturdy shoe. The right shoe with the right arch support and possibly use of an insole and stretching of your calf muscles will prevent plantar fasciitis from recurring.

When should I see a doctor for a minor foot injury?

If your pain persists for more than a week or there’s sudden swelling or you feel like there’s a pop or a sprain of any of the ligaments or tendons during exposure, then you should be seeing a doctor.

How do I treat foot blisters from new shoes?

All shoes should be worn in gradually. You can use a Compeed plaster if there are irritant areas or if you have bony prominences. You should stretch shoes out if they are tight, and always ensure that they are appropriately fitting.