CONGRATULATIONS to Dr. Mulford and Dr. Skerker for being honored Top Doc by New Jersey Monthly and Castle Connolly Medical, and Dr. Rajesh Rao for receiving the Patients’ Choice recognition.
Most ligament and musculoskeletal injuries DON'T need surgical intervention. When properly managed, the majority of ligament sprains can be successfully managed by proper modification of activity, use of modalities (ice, heat, massage, electric stimulation, ultrasound), medications, and specific/focused rehabilitation.
Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise as it tests the body’s limits and works out several muscle groups.
Most injuries occur in the hip, thigh, knee, calf, and foot.
Competitive Runners are prone to overuse injuries of the lower limbs.
Overuse running injuries occur overtime and are caused by stress on the muscles in a particular area of the body.
Acute running injuries occur suddenly due to powerful force or pressure applied during contact. These injuries require immediate medical attention and surgery when necessary.
Achilles tendonitis is an injury that occurs due to overuse of the Achilles tendon. Acute Achilles tendonitis can happen when an athlete increases his or her training suddenly. This type of tendonitis normally fades with rest and then can become chronic Achilles tendonitis. Chronic Achilles tendonitis can be caused by a variety of different reasons, such as increased activity, lowered recovery time, new footwear, or even weakened calf muscles.
Symptoms
o Pain behind the ankle increasing over time
o Pain at the beginning of exercise but disappearing slowly during the activity
o Achilles tendon is tender to touch
Treatment
o Rest and apply ice to injury
o Anti-inflammatory medication if necessary
o Sports massage or ultrasound
Consulting an A.R.M. sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for Achilles tendinitis will ensure a full and speedy recovery.
When the foot is turned inward or inverted an athletes’ ankle can be sprained. This can be caused by running on non-leveled surfaces, or can be due to landing on non-flat surfaces during competition.
Symptoms
o Swelling in the ankle because of the gathering of fluid in the tissues
o Pain in the region of the ankle when standing
o Painful to touch ankle region or to move foot in certain directions
o Redness and warmth in ankle due to increased in blood in the region
Treatment
o R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) method immediately
o Ultrasound and Laser treatment
o Anti-inflammatory medication when necessary
Consulting an A.R.M. sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for ankle sprains will ensure a full and speedy recovery.
DOMS is soreness from exercise that occurs hours after exercise. Normally the result of excessive or abnormal amounts of exercise, DOMS is caused by tiny muscle tears in the fibers due to strenuous training. Usually this soreness is felt 12 to 24 hours after the strenuous session.
Symptoms
o Muscle aches
o Excessive tightness
o Discomfort for up to 3 days
Treatment
o Rest
o Light exercise and stretching to increase blood flow and healing process
o Massage
Consulting an A.R.M. sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for DOMS injuries will ensure a full recovery.
A groin strain is a tearing of the adductor muscles that connect the pelvis to the leg. They are used to help maintain balance and are important for rapid changes in direction and sprinting. Sudden resistance or quick changes in speed or direction, which leads to a tear in the muscle fibers, normally causes this injury.
Symptoms
o Sharp pain in the groin area
o Swelling or bruising
o Pain or inability during adduction
o Tightening of the muscles in the groin area after the injury was sustained
Treatment
o R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) method
o Ultrasound or Laser
Consulting an A.R.M. sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for a groin strain will ensure a full and speedy recovery.
A Heel spur is a bonelike growth that originates from the heal bone of the foot. High levels of stress to the heel bone cause the body to calcify the soft tissue in the heel. More common in older athletes who do a lot of running.
Symptoms
o Pain in the heel
o Inflammation of the heel
o Tenderness throughout the heel
Treatment
o Heat and elevation to alleviate the pain
o Foam pad in heel of shoe
o Ultrasound and whirlpool therapy
o Taping of the foot
Consulting an A.R.M. sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for a heel spur will ensure a full and speedy recovery.
Hamstring injuries are extremely painful and are rather common across all athletic activities. There are three separate levels, or grades of hamstring injuries.
Grade 1 injuries deal with mild tearing of the muscle tissues. Grade 2 has moderate damage to the three muscle groups that make up the hamstring. Grade 3 the most severe injury can deal with a total rupture of the hamstring muscle.
Symptoms
o Sudden sharp pain in the back of the leg
o Swelling and burning of hamstring muscle
o Grade 3 may leave a gap in the muscle group
o Pain with stretching or with resistance to movement
Treatment
o R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) method
o Compression bandage
o Ultrasound and electrical stimulation
o Sports massage
o Anti-inflammatory medication when necessary
Consulting an A.R.M. sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for hamstring pull or tear will ensure a full recovery.
Hip bursitis is an injury to the bursa sac located on the pointed bone of the hip known as the greater trochanter. The bursa sac is filled with fluid and acts as a cushion between the bones and the soft tissue surrounding them. Impacts directly to the hip or constant stress on the bursa from activities such as running or cycling are common causes for Hip Bursitis.
Symptoms
o Pain at point of hip sometimes extending into thigh
o Worsening of pain at night or when walking or squatting
Treatment
o Rest and Ice
o Anti-inflammatory medication when necessary
o Cortisone injection when needed
Consulting an A.R.M. sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for hip bursitis will ensure a full and speedy recovery.
Patella Subluxation (kneecap dislocation) can cause discomfort and become painful in activities such as running. The culprit of this pain is the poor tracking of the patella along the trochlear groove.
This can be caused by a wider than normal pelvis, problems in the athletes gait, or just a shallow trochlear groove. Complete dislocation of the kneecap is normally caused by heavy trauma. Subsequent dislocations become much more frequent after the original dislocation.
Symptoms
o Knee pain
o Tenderness in effected area
Treatment
o Rest and ice
o Bracing and taping when necessary
o Proper footwear
Consulting an A.R.M. sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for patella subluxation will ensure a full and speedy recovery.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) is one of the most common causes of lateral knee pain. ITBS develops among athletes who are either constantly running or who repeatedly flex or extend their knees. Long distance runners and cyclists are extremely prone to ITBS, but it is also found in other sports such as tennis, soccer and volleyball.
Stretching and strengthening the knee are common treatments for ITBS. Surgery for ITBS is very rare, although cortisone injections are sometimes used if all other types of treatments fail.
Symptoms
o Pain on the outside of knee especially during exercise
o Tightness in the Illiotibial band
o Weakness during hip abduction
Treatment
o Rest and Ice
o Ultrasound and electronic stimulation
o Anti-inflammatory medication when necessary
Consulting an A.R.M. sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for Illiotibial band syndrome will ensure a full recovery.
A pull or strain of the calf muscles involves a tear of the muscles known as the Gastrocnemius and the Soleus. In a full rupture of the calf muscle, a bunched mass of tissue can be seen near the back of the knee. Like many other injuries calf strains are broken down into three different grades depending upon the severity of the muscle tear.
Grade 1 involve up to 10% of the muscles in the calf. Grade 2 affects 90% of the muscles in the calf . Grade 3 occurs when over 90% of the calf muscle fibers are torn.
Symptoms
o Minor to severe pain in the lower leg
o Tightness and aching in lower leg
o Swelling and bruising
o A bunched up mass of tissue (in a full calf muscle rupture)
Treatment
o R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) method
o Anti-inflammatory medicine when necessary
o Ultrasound treatment
Consulting an A.R.M sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for a calf strain will ensure a full recovery.
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome involves a few different factors, but all of them relate to the tracking of the patella in the femoral groove. Imbalances of the muscle groups in the legs, poor flexibility and alignment of bone structure or issues in the foot and ankle are common causes for poor tracking.
Symptoms
o Pain on the sides of kneecap
o Grinding feeling or knee popping
Treatment
o Rest and ice
o Knee brace
Consulting an A.R.M. sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for patellofemoral pain syndrome will ensure a full and speedy recovery.
Snapping hip is characterized by a snapping sensation caused by overextending or over-flexing of the hip. It can be either internal or lateral and involves muscle fibers located on top of the hip. Lateral snapping is the muscle fibers on the outside of the hip moving over the top of the femur bone, while internal snapping is due to the Iliopsoas muscle flicking across the interior part of the pelvis.
Symptoms
o Snapping or clicking in the hip
o Mild pain is felt by 1/3 of patients with this condition
Treatment
o Rest
o Stretching of muscles
o Myofascial techniques
Consulting an A.R.M. sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for snapping hip will ensure a full and speedy recovery.
Plantar Fasciitis is the inflammation of a band of tissue that connects your heel bone to your toes. It usually starts with a mild pain. The inflammation originates from the Plantar Fascia tightening. It then begins to tear instead of flexing with the foot, causing irritation.
Plantar Fasciitis leads to complications with other body parts such as knee’s, hip, or back because it changes the athletes walking motion, placing stress on other joints. You may feel the pain after exercise, getting out of bed in the morning or after arising from any prolonged period of inactivity; allowing the Plantar Fascia to get tight and stiff.
Symptoms
o Sharp pain in heel or foot
o Worst pain occurs after awakening
o Also can occur after being seated or standing for prolonged periods of time
Treatment
o Rest
o Applying ice
o Keeping weight off your foot until the pain and inflammation subsides
o Avoiding running, jumping, or walking without any support or cushioning
o Use of Orthotics
o Anti-inflammatory medication when necessary
o Getting physical therapy and exercise to stretch your Achilles tendon and Plantar Fascia
o Use of night splints, cortisone injections, and surgery in extreme cases
Consulting an A.R.M. sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for Plantar Fasciitis will ensure a full recovery.
Plica syndrome is a condition involving the remainder of fetal tissues in the knee. These tissues shrink in size overtime and in adults exist as synovial plica. This tissue, now located on the inside of the knee, becomes irritated or inflamed during activities such as running, leading to Plica Syndrome.
Symptoms
o Pain
o Snapping on inside of knee
o Tenderness to touch effected area
Treatment
o Rest and ice
o Anti-inflammatory medication when necessary
o Cortisone injection when necessary
Consulting an A.R.M. sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for plica syndrome will ensure a full and speedy recovery.
The most common cause of shin splints is inflammation of the periostium of the tibia; A very common injury amongst athletes whose sports involve a lot of running. The force of the lower leg muscles leading to inflammation and sharp shin pain causes friction on the periostium.
Symptoms
o Pain on the inside of the shin
o Pain that eases as exercise is continued
o Pain when toes or foot are bent downwards
o Lumps or bumps may be felt when feeling the inside of the shin bone
Treatment
o Rest and ice the area of the injury
o Applying heat prior to exercise will reduce pain
o Wearing proper footwear
Consulting an A.R.M. physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for Shin splints will ensure your full recovery and get you back on your feet.
Stress fractures, while not the most common, still affect many athletes across different sports. Common stress fractures are due to constant use of muscle groups, which leads to higher bone stress once these muscles are exhausted. Stress fractures can also be caused by changes on the surfaces of the playing field.
Symptoms
o Pain during distance running
o Tenderness near or around injury location
o Swelling near or around injury location
Treatment
o Rest for up to 8 weeks
o Continue exercise in aquatic environment
Consulting an A.R.M. sports physician for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for a stress fracture will ensure a full recovery.
