An update on the role of podiatrists in sports medicine

Abstract

Introduction: sports medicine is certainly the domain of physicians, whereas, there are some places where it is that of nonphysicians. With the general increase in sporting activities there has been an increase in sports injuries, both from acute and from overuse trauma. Podiatry emerges as solution for athletes and sports players. The objective was to characterize the role of podiatrists in sports medicine. Methods: a literature review was conducted, where 19 articles in English and Spanish were selected, published in the last five years on the subject, in databases such as: Scopus, PubMed, Researchgate, Springer. Results: podiatry has its peak in this area when sports lesions were addressed not only preventively but also via biomechanical methods. The physician recognizing and addressing the biomechanical abnormality may potentially prevent an injury that could have led to a subsequently missed competition. The role of prevention in athletes is centered on a comprehensive biomechanical examination combined with an understanding of the risk factors for common overuse or traumatic injuries. The fit feet exam is a screening of the lower extremities of Olympics athletes. It includes musculoskeletal, dermatological and biomechanics evaluations. Conclusions: the evaluation of an athlete finds it base in a deep understanding of the feet biomechanics. Physical examination allows to recognize the patient´s needs and identify possible pathologies. The treatment includes conservative and non-conservative indications, most popular are medication, footwear modifications and orthoses.