AF&A Blog

With ‘deep sadness’, tennis pro Serena Williams has decided to listen to her doctor and not play in the US Open. This is obviously a difficult decision for her as friends have noted this is one of her favorite tournaments to play in.

This is also a big headline as she is the number one ranked player in the world. Her absence also prevents her sister Venus and her from defending their doubles title. Though not a happy decision, we here at AFAS feel she is making the best decision. Returning to any activity before allowing proper time for healing will only increase the risk or re-injuring, cause more extensive damage, or leave one with permanent deficits.

The injury that will prevent Serena from competing occurred in early July. While dining at a restaurant, her foot was injured by a broken glass. This type of injury involves a sharp, foreign body. Any foreign body carries inherent risk of infection and your Podiatric physician will clean the wound clean promptly. Depending on factors such as the type of object and the depth of the wound, you may be prescribed antibiotics. A sharp object, like broken glass, can cut tendons, blood vessels, or nerves. The recoveries for injuries such as these are varied. Tendon injuries typically require 6 weeks to heal, with additional time to be toned back to their original strength. It is important to follow your doctor’s instruction when you are recovering from any type of surgery. If Serena Williams can sit out the US Open, you can surely keep yourself off you feet long enough to heal properly. Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy Austin!

Tags: foot, podiatry, Serena Williams, US Open

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 at 8:40 pm and is filed under In the News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.