Over the weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer at the Special Olympics Minnesota Spring Games. I had an incredible time at the event, and I was fortunate enough to meet a bunch of amazing athletes who were truly dedicated to their sport. I can only hope to continue working with the organization and these athletes at future events.
The event was heartwarming and I really enjoyed working with each and every athlete, but there’s another reason I felt compelled to volunteer and why I hope to do similar events in the future. Foot and general health care for some members of the handicapped community is often incomplete. I witnessed this firsthand, as many of the athletes were dealing with undiagnosed or unaddressed problems in their feet. More than 40 percent of the athletes had some symptoms of foot or ankle disorders during the foot screenings. This is an incredibly high number from a foot screen. The problem is that many of these athletes lack the ability or support to get all of their physical injuries recognized, or their feet are put on the back burner while doctors focus on other areas of their health. We need to develop more regular feet screenings and overall health assessments for members of this community to ensure small problems aren’t being overlooked, because they can snowball into bigger problems if left unaddressed. Whether it involved setting athletes up with orthotic inserts or connecting them with a physical therapist, I was happy to provide some guidance for the athletes.
By far, the best part about working with Special Olympics Minnesota and performing the foot screens was my interaction with the athletes. It was a very gratifying experience and I worked with a very appreciative group of people. I hope to work with SOMN and the athletes again in the near future. To see a collection of photos from the event, check out the Special Olympics Minnesota Facebook Page!
Thanks for letting me be a part of your games.
Dr. Silverman