Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Nadal Pondered Switching to Golf After Foot Injury

Tennis star Rafael Nadal’s biography hit the US shelves recently. In it he describes a foot injury in 2005 that had the potential to end his career. He describes his thoughts of switching to golf as a career due to his pain. In the book the problem is described as a congenital (born with it) bone problem in the bridge (arch) of this left foot. Nadal more than likely had a condition called Kohler’s Disease, also known as avascular necrosis of the navicular bone. The bone is located in the middle of the foot, near the peak of the arch.

During childhood, there is an interruption of blood flow to the bone which doesn’t let it harden like it should. The causes of this aren’t known for sure, but trauma or overuse has been linked to the condition. This causes the bone to be deformed and can eventually splinter. Sometimes these effects aren’t known until later on in life, as such in Nadal’s case. And this becomes more apparent with repetitive stress to the bone, such as being a professional tennis star. Nadal’s book goes on to describe how he had pain and swelling in the area of the arch, near the top of his foot. He found this to be relatively normal since he played an intense match, but the pain became worse. The next day the swelling had increased and he couldn’t put any weight on it. His doctors couldn’t diagnose it for weeks until he saw a specialist in Spain. Nadal was forced to rest until the pain subsided. His specialist recommended insoles that would cushion the bone and try to offload the stress to that part of the foot. However there are consequences to that such as putting more stress on the knees and back.

Treatment for Kohler’s Disease is symptomatic. In Nadal’s case, his life is dependent on his ability to perform at the highest level so his treatment regimen may differ than someone else with Kohler’s. Remember that foot pain is not normal and if you are experiencing it, come by and see Dr. Grimm or Dr. Pattison of the Foot Associates of Central Texas. They have offices in Lakeway, Georgetown, Round Rock, and Taylor, Texas.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/aug/22/rafael-nadal-golf-injury