Newswise — Howard Palamarchuk, D.P.M., director of the sports medicine program at Temple University's School of Podiatric Medicine, is an expert on injuries of the foot, ankle and knee. A former Olympic-class race walker, Palamarchuk knows firsthand the strain that running, walking and jumping can have on the lower extremities.
"A universal complaint among the athletes this year has been the choice of pavement materials for the long-distance courses [in Beijing]," Palamarchuk said. "Most are made of cast concrete pavement stones — like the ones used on American driveways. It has tremendous impact on the bones of the feet and legs."
He adds that the legs, feet and ankles bear up to one million pounds of pressure during one hour of strenuous activity, and athletes can be sidelined by bone fractures, torn or stretched ligaments and tendons, arch ankle sprains, shin splints, sores and blisters.
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