How To Avoid Surgery After A Sports Injury

Health & Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

How To Avoid Surgery After A Sports Injury Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. For many 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. or tenderness close to the knee cap at the front side of the knee), tendonitis and iliotibial band syndrome (pain on the outer side of the knee). Severe knee injuries often include bone bruises or damage to the cartilage or ligaments.

SHIN SPLINTS: Shin splints occur when there is a pain along the large bone in the front of the lower leg, known as the tibia or shin bone. Shin splints most commonly occur in runners, especially those who are just starting a running program. This is usually due to poor alignment of the body, or weakness in the leg muscles. The team at Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine can treat many orthopedic and repetitive motion injuries without the need for invasive surgeries or medications. In fact, most doctors have their patients try physical therapy first before recommending any other procedures. The licensed physical therapists and physical therapist assistants at Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine can customize a program that addresses the weakness of your particular musculoskeletal system, allowing you to recover quickly and remain active. Even if you have an old 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 improved function, wellness and minimize the risk of re-injury.

You don’t have to be a professional or even an amateur athlete to suffer a sports injury. In fact, many times, thosemost susceptible to sports injuries are people who have just started exercising or participate on a recreational level. Sports injuries in this article will be defined as injuries to the musculoskeletal system, including muscles, bones and tissues such as cartilage. The most common sports 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 most vulnerable to sprains. However, back, neck and shoulder sprains are very common too. STRAINS: A strain occurs when a muscle or tendon is pulled, torn or twisted. Strains are non-contact injuries, such as those that occur from overstretching. A common example of a strain is a muscle spasm. A back or neck strain is a very common injury treated in physical therapy. KNEE INJURIES: According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the knee is the most commonly injured joint. Orthopedic surgeons see more than 5.5 million people annually for knee injuries, which can include runner’s knee (pain

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DON’T LET PAIN SIDELINE YOU

Before and after Knowing the right exercises to prepare for fitness activities is key. Our physical therapy experts have years of experience rehabilitating people after injuries and returning them pain-free to the activities they enjoy. What some people might not know is that physical therapists put specific exercise plans together based on your needs to prevent injury. If you do start to experience painwith activities, Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine can get you back to enjoying your activities pain-free. Call today to learnmore howour programs can help you feel great!

There is nothingmore exciting than taking on a new challenge, sport or activity. For most of us, the thrill of accomplishing a physical goal is what we live for. However, are you prepared for it? The term“weekend warrior”means a personwho doesn’t really train for what they are doing; they just go out and do it on the weekend. How do most injuries occur? Most sports injuries occur from ill-prepared individuals who just jump into the activity without first increasing their strength, endurance and flexibility. Your muscles, tendons, ligaments and other tissues need to be warmed up to work properly. They

take enormous strain during running and sports activities. Therefore, if they are not in top condition, they aremore prone to injury. I njuries increase as you age… If you think back to when you were in your late teens, you could go into a full sprint no problem, take a flying leap and do a whole lot without the slightest thought about it. As you get older, your tissues become less elastic and in fact a little “drier”. When your muscle, tendon and ligament tissues have enoughwater, they are supple and stretchy, allowing you to do a lot of activities. Keep yourself hydrated and stretch often to maintain elasticity in your muscles.

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Don’t let a sports injury become a way of life Pinpoint the exact cause of your knee, shoulder or hip pain!

Relieve your spinal pain! Do you suffer with a y of the following symptoms? • Pain while running or stretching • Soreness after a sports activity • Difficulty with stiffness and soreness • Pain after a sports injury • Difficulty completing workout sessions • Radiating pain to muscles and joints

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Patient Success S P O T L I G H T

You Have The Right To Choose Your Physical Therapy I can hardly contain my excitement! “In 2004, I began to experience pain in my right shoulder potentially caused by something I did in the military. At first the pain was minimal when performing certain exercises but it later increased when I exercised, cleaned, as I reached for things, and when trying to wash my back. Over the years, I’ve had physical therapy from both the military and civilian healthcare carriers, but eventually, the pain became unbearable. On December 11, 2015, I finally decided to have surgery for a shoulder labral tear, and shortly afterward I began PT. For the most part, I was pleased with my PT and the physical therapist; however, when I was told in April 2016 that I was at the point where I only needed to be seen once a month or I could make the decision to be seen once a week, I was not pleased. My PT told me that “there was nothing else that could be done and that it was up to me to increase my strength in order to have full range motion (ROM)”. At this point, I did not have full ROM to lift my arm out in front of me, or to the side of my body, and I was still in a lot of pain. In fact, I had been taking prescription level anti-inflammatory pills since surgery. Throughout my recovery, I had been seeing my shoulder surgeon and sharing with her my frustrations about my limited ROM and treatment from the PT in my medical network. She often disagreed with the advice given to me by my PT. A friend of mine recommended that I receive PT from Christina Smith, PT, DPT, ATC, CSCS, at Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine in Alexandria, Virginia. He said, “She’s good, aggressive, and will get you to where you need to be”. Taking his advice was one of the best medical decisions that I’ve made in my life because she has worked wonders with getting my ROM to where it should be. I have seen her once a week since July 2016, and just recently, she told me that I only needed to see her once every other week. I stopped taking pain pills approximately three weeks after seeing Christina, perform strength training exercises that involve my shoulder, and my ROM is almost perfect. Lastly, I am finally able to sleep on my right side after 10 years! I am an athletic, 49 year old woman who fully understands that recovery from surgery takes time and for this surgery, approximately one year. My goal at the end of PT was to return back to majority of what I was doing before my injury, not only to a functional state. I am so close to where I was before my injury that I can hardly contain my excitement! My time at Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine has not been in vain and I would recommend this company to anyone who esteems to receive top rated PT. Thank you Christina for all the hard work you’ve performed on me over the months.” - Michelle W. Whether you want to come in because you’ve suffered a recent injury or you want to improve your physical health, tell your doctor about Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine. Get started feeling better today! See our physical therapists for: • Recent injury • Nagging aches and pains • Back and neck pain • Joint pain and movement problems • Walking or balance difficulties Call Us To Schedule An Appointment Today!

Running/Sports Video Analysis At Solutions Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, we provide video analysis of running and other sports activities to assist in breaking down and correcting technique errors. We can provide you a copy of your video and any corrective exercises to assist in communicating with coaches and trainers as well. Service Spotlight

Staff Spotlight

Colin Flanagan graduated from The University at Buffalo with his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, and is originally from Western New York. He has had an interest in the body and how it works since taking his first anatomy class. Colin enjoys playing and watching a variety of sports which also attracted him to the physical therapy profession. He believes the best way to restore function and alleviate a patient’s symptoms is through the combined use of manual therapy and functional exercise. He has a specific interest in neck and shoulder disorders. Colin enjoys running, biking, hiking, snowboarding and most things outdoors and completed his first half ironman in 2015.

Colin Flanagan PT, DPT • Doctor of Physical Therapy

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Healthy Recipe

Tilapia Recipe Eating Right Never Tasted So Good! 11 Ingredients • 2 eggs • 1 teaspoon pepper • 1 teaspoon lemon juice • 1 teaspoon garlic • 1 cup ground almonds • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions • Beat the eggs with the lemon juice, pepper and garlic until blended; set aside. Stir together ground almonds with 1 cup of Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish until combined; set aside. Dust the tilapia fillets with flour, and shake off excess. Dip the tilapia in egg, then press into the almond mixture. • Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook tilapia in oil until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium, and season fillets with salt if desired. Sprinkle the tilapia with the remaining parmesan cheese, cover, and continue cooking until the parmesan cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. • Transfer the tilapia to a serving dish, and garnish with parsley springs and lemon wedges to serve.

• 8 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets • ¼ cup whole wheat flour • Avocado oil • Salt • Parsley

Exercise Essentials Try these exercises to help with aches and pains...

Good exercise to relieve knee pain

Good exercise to strengthen the knee

LATERAL STEP DOWN Stand on a box or step. Step down and to the side. Lower down with control. Alternate feet each step and repeat 10 times.

QUAD PRONE STRETCH Lie on stomach. Hold ankle with hand. Gently pull ankle toward the buttock. You should feel a stretch in the front of your thigh. Hold for 30 seconds. Alternate legs and repeat 6 times.

Not all exercises are appropriate for every person. Please consult with a healthcare provider before starting.

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Who do you know that needs our help?

Refer a Friend Do You Have Friends or Family Unable to Do The Following? 9 Move without pain 9 Bend and move freely 9 Balance confidently and securely 9 Sit for long periods comfortably 9 Walk for long distances 9 Live an active and healthy lifestyle If you know someone suffering with aches and pains give the gift of health. Refer them to Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine today. Pass along this newsletter or have them call us directly to schedule an evaluation!

For more information go to solutionsphysicaltherapy.com

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Call for more information! Alexandria 225 Reinkers Lane Suite GR 4 Alexandria, VA 22314 P: 703-299-3111 F: 703-299-1556