Let’s talk about the future of Jimmy Graham for a moment. In case you’ve missed it, Jimmy (a fabled tight end with the New Orleans Saints) was diagnosed in week 7 with an injury to his foot. As the end of 2013 drew near, the controversy grew over the fate of Graham’s future career, with speculations ranging to every extreme. So just what exactly did Jimmy do, and just what does his future look like?
Our feet are just as complex as our hands; featuring a similar formula of bones, ligaments and tendons. In addition, they bear all of the pounding forces our bodies create as we walk. Overtime, repeated impacts on our feet wear and tear our plantar fascia (the ligamentous band running along the bottom of our feet). This prolonged stress creates micro-trauma in this band, bringing pain, inflammation and swelling to our feet until they are allowed to heal.
In Graham’s case, he was diagnosed with a partially torn plantar fascia. And while he chose to play through the rest of the season, you can be sure it wasn’t without discomfort, and constant worry. Thick tissues like fascia have a reduced blood supply, and as a result, take much longer to heal than other parts of the body. Continuing to play on an already compromised fascia, Graham continued to damage an already weakened part of his body. Running the risk of completing the tear in his inflamed fascia could result in an extremely painful and intense rupture of his fascial band. Such an injury could set him back many months of training, and may cost him top dollars in his upcoming contract renewals.
In the end, it doesn’t take an NFL tight end to tear your plantar fascia. It is easier than you think, and anyone from the weekend golfer to the Olympic athlete can experience complications. If you are feeling pain in the bottom of your feet at the end of the day, or just as you are getting your morning started, come by and see Dr. Brad Toll at Crofton Podiatry in Crofton, MD to get the best tips and tricks for reducing your foot pain and preventing damage to your plantar fascia. Dr. Toll is anexperienced foot and ankle surgeon, and has decades of expertise in preventing and treating foot injuries.