When baseball star Albert Pujols was suffering from plantar fasciitis during the 2013 season while still with the Los Angeles Angels, the strapping first baseman said he considered a severe morning routine change.
“You almost want to pee in your bed rather than go to the bathroom,” Pujols told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s really painful in the morning.”
Pujols is one of many athletes in recent years to have suffered from the injury. This week, Tiger Woods withdrew from the Hero World Challenge with the condition, saying it was difficult for him to walk.
And while there is a lack of data showing this is more common in professional sports, there is a lot of talk among athletes and the orthopedic medical community that there is more plantar fasciitis than there used to be among both pro athletes and so-called weekend warriors over the last decade.
Robert Klapper, the orthopedic consultant to the TV show “ER,” and the co-host of ESPN Radio’s Weekend Warriors, had a couple of theories about what he told USA TODAY Sports in 2013 was an “explosion of overuse injuries like plantar fasciitis.”
Klapper said he thinks that sports specialization at a young age is leading to a lack of natural cross-training and to a greater number of injuries caused by repetitive movements.
In earlier generations, a young three-sport star — say, football, basketball, baseball — was common. Now, young athletes who stand out in a sport tend to play it year-round on all-star or travel teams. And there is a lot more time spent inside on computers or watching TV. Now, the two-sport star — say, basketball and video games — is more common.
“Cross-training is so valuable, and it used to come quite naturally,” Klapper said. “We’ve lost that.”
Here’s a quick look at the condition, as well as some causes, prevention tips and treatment ideas.