I am Paul Siffri, Orthopedic Physician at Steadman Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas.  Welcome back to this month's edition of the Game Changer.  With the weather warming up and all of us getting back into outdoor activities, we occasionally may over exert ourselves.  This month we will cover a couple of common overuse injuries, how to recognize them, and treatments.  With this information we hope it will assist you in continuing to be a Game Changer.  We feel you will all find this information extremely helpful and informative, should you have any questions please contact us below. 

 

Paul Siffri, M.D. 

(click on Dr. Siffri's name or photo to view his web page)

Tightness, pain, swelling or a burning sensation radiating up the lower back of your leg could be a sign of the overuse syndrome Achilles Tendonitis. The Achilles Tendon connects the bottom of the calf muscle to the heal and is commonly over-stretched through repetitive motion causing micro tears leading to inflammation and the possible degeneration of the tendon.  Learn the prevention and management tips from our Athletic Trainers in our online article  Achilles Tendonitis .

 

One of the top sports injuries, Tennis Elbow, is a common injury for racket sports.  It can also occur in baseball, swimming, golf, javelin throwing and fencing along with repetitive tasks using the forearm or wrist such as painting or hammering.  Repetitive motion and overuse causes inflammation of the muscles of the forearm and the tendon that connects the muscles to the bones in the elbow resulting in pain and soreness on the outside of the elbow.  Other common symptoms are decreased grip strength and pain with gripping.

 

Prevention of Tennis Elbow can be as simple as a proper racket grip, proper technique or stretching.  For more information, click

Tennis Elbow .