N E W S L E T T E R
FrankKavaDPTandKristieKavaDScPT
Avoiding Surgery after a Sports Injury
INSIDE:
Exercise isan importantpartofahealthy lifestyle. Formany people, playing sports is a fun way to burn extra calories, socialize, and get fit. Unfortunately, this also means the occasional sports injury or a flare up of an old injury or condition. Youdon’thave tobeaprofessionalorevenanamateurathlete to suffer a sports injury. In fact, many times, those most susceptible tosports injuriesarepeoplewhohave juststarted exercising or participate on a recreational level. Sports injuries in this article will be defined as injuries to the musculoskeletalsystem, includingmuscles,bonesandtissues suchascartilage.Themostcommonsports injuries include: SPRAINS: A sprain occurs when the connective tissue that joins the end of the bone with another is stretched or torn. Those connective tissues are known as ligaments. Sprains are caused by trauma such as a fall or blow to the body that knocks a joint out of position. Ankles, knees and wrists are mostvulnerable tosprains. However,back,neckandshoulder sprains are very common too. STRAINS: Astrainoccurswhenamuscleor tendon ispulled, torn or twisted. Strains are non-contact injuries, such as those that occur from overstretching. A common example ofastrain isamusclespasm. Abackorneckstrain isavery common injury treated in physical therapy. KNEE INJURIES: According to theU.S.DepartmentofHealth andHumanServices, theknee is themostcommonly injured
joint. Orthopedicsurgeonsseemore than5.5millionpeople annually for knee injuries, which can include runner’s knee (pain or tenderness close to the knee cap at the front side of theknee), tendonitisand iliotibialbandsyndrome (painon the outer side of the knee). Severe knee injuries often include bone bruises or damage to the cartilage or ligaments. SHINSPLINTS: Shinsplintsoccurwhen there isapainalong the largebone in the frontof the lower leg,knownas the tibia or shin bone. Shin splints most commonly occur in runners, especially thosewhoare juststartingarunningprogram. This is usually due to poor alignment of the body, or weakness in the leg muscles. The team at Oakland Physical Therapy can treat many orthopedicand repetitivemotion injurieswithout theneed for invasivesurgeriesormedications. In fact,mostdoctorshave theirpatients tryphysical therapyfirstbefore recommending any other procedures. The licensed physical therapists and physical therapist assistants at Oakland Physical Therapy can customize a program that addresses the weakness of your particular musculoskeletalsystem,allowingyou to recoverquicklyand remainactive. Even ifyouhaveanold injury, it is important to have it evaluated by our physical therapists to prevent long- term damage like arthritis. If you have sports or orthopedic injuries like tendonitis, arthritis, a stress fracture or low back pain, our therapists can design a treatment plan to promote improvedfunction,wellnessandminimize theriskofre-injury.
• Avoiding Surgery After A Sports Injury
• Don’t Let Pain Sideline You!
• Patient Success Spotlight • Complimentary Workshops
• Healthy Recipe
• Exercise Essentials
www.oaklandphysicaltherapy.com
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