Competitive teams like Houston’s own All-Star Revolution are impressive athletes. These students jump, flip, and throw their bodies like acrobats for competition—and they’re far from the only high-quality team in the area. Just like other athletes, cheerleaders have to worry about injuries, including foot problems like sesamoiditis. March is Cheerleading Safety Month, a time to highlight the need for these athletes to take care of themselves. For issues like irritated sesamoids, some simple remedies can alleviate the forefoot pain.

Sesamoiditis is the inflammation of the two sesamoid bones under your big toe. These little bones are actually embedded in tendons. They serve as weight-bearing bones for the ball of your foot as well as act like pulleys to give your big toe more power to push off the ground. Overuse and repetitive pounding, however, can stress and irritate the tendons around these little bones, causing inflammation and pain.

To relieve that discomfort, you need to eliminate the inflammation. Here are a few simple ways to help with that:

• Rest – Take time off from hard impact activities that could be making your condition worse. Give your feet time to heal.
• Cold Therapy – Ice the ball of the foot several times a day to reduce inflammation and any swelling around the sesamoids. This will help with the discomfort, too.
• Extra Padding – Use inserts or custom orthotics to add a layer of cushioning to help absorb the pressure on your forefoot. Less pressure will reduce the stress there.
• Exercise and Conditioning – Overuse is generally behind the problem, so stretching and strengthening your foot should help prevent it. This will also prepare your lower limbs to handle other strenuous activities.

Don’t neglect your sesamoiditis pain, whether you’re a cheerleader or any other athlete. Taking care of it early on can help you avoid being sidelined later. If you’re struggling to manage forefoot pain, let our team at Parker Foot & Ankle help you. We’ll find alternate treatments that work best for your needs. Use our online request form or call (281) 497-2850 to make an appointment with us.