Sports Medicine - Vancouver, BC
Few things are more devastating to the health of an athlete than a foot or ankle injury. It doesn’t matter if you’re part of a competitive team or exercise daily to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Whether you’re in middle school or middle age, nobody wants to spend time watching life from the sidelines.
That’s why Dr. Stern and our staff are dedicated to providing our patients with comprehensive, advanced treatment options for their sports medicine foot and ankle injuries.
Having worked the 2010 Olympics and served on the board at SportsMedBC, Dr. Stern takes pride in treating athletes at all levels.
In our practice, we always take time to listen to your questions and concerns, examine your feet carefully, determine the diagnosis and provide effective treatment recommendations tailored to your specific needs.
Common Foot & Ankle Sports Injuries
Not all sports medicine injuries are sudden, traumatic, and dramatic—although they certainly can be. Often, pain builds slowly due to the accumulation of many small impacts and injuries over time. Whether acute or chronic, a sports medicine injury can keep you from achieving your full potential, or keep you off the field entirely.
Common sports injury care provided by our clinic:
Ankle sprains
Muscle strains
Achilles tendinitis
Achilles tendon ruptures
Inflammation or tearing in other connective tissues (tendons and ligaments)
Broken bones in ankles, feet, and toes
Stress fractures
Shin splints
Heel pain
Neuromas
Turf toe
A Smarter Approach to Sports Medicine
Dr. Stern is a podiatric physician known for providing a high level of care for a variety of foot and ankle conditions. He’s a doctor that listens and takes the time necessary to understand each patient’s unique set of goals and expectations.
Custom Orthotics
Sports can put a lot of pressure on your feet, and sometimes they just aren’t properly equipped to handle the load. This is especially the case for those who have orthopedic issues with their feet and ankles—for example, flat feet or overpronation.
For minor aches and pains, an over-the-counter arch support may be appropriate. However, custom orthotics provide the best results for serious pain. We measure your feet precisely to craft personalized orthotics just for you. The right pair of custom orthotics provide your feet and ankles with exactly the support, cushioning, and stability they need. With proper care, they can last for years.
Taping/Strapping
Strapping and taping are common techniques that podiatrists use to provide short-term stability and treatment to the knees, ankles, or feet for a variety of orthopedic and musculoskeletal conditions.
At our clinic, we may strap your foot or recommend a brace to prevent an injury – for example: bracing to prevent a recurrent lateral ankle sprain. We may also use this to treat an injury or to adjust biomechanics. Strapping is a common method used to place the feet into a more ‘neutral’ position that can, in the short term, indicate whether a custom foot orthotic may be helpful long-term.
Gait Analysis
Gait analysis is a technique that investigates how one stands, walks, and runs. A detailed analysis of an individual can reveal the source of muscle, nerve, or skeletal problems.
Standing, walking, and running properly involves a chain of complex actions. Our bodies must integrate sensory feedback from the visual, somatosensory, and vestibular systems to properly coordinate our muscles to prevent us from falling. Gait analysis is a descriptive tool that can help a physician better understand how each of these systems contributes to the way one stands, walks, and runs.
Injection Therapy
Injections have such a profound ability to change the direction of athletic treatment and recovery. Injections can be used to control, reduce or eradicate inflammation, or reduce the bulk of damaged tissues. Injections can be used to treat neuromas and revive the body’s ability to repair torn, thickened, or scarred tissue. Dr. Stern is knowledgeable in all forms of injections and will provide this option if medically necessary.
Dr. Stern Will Help You Get Back on Your Feet
Dr. Joseph Stern is a foot and ankle specialist with over 30 years of experience and offers a broad range of advanced orthopedic and non-surgical treatment options for bunions.
Working out of their Vancouver office, our doctor and his team offer the highest level of care to address sports injuries of the foot and ankle.
If you’re ready to better understand your treatment options and return back to full, schedule an appointment today.
