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St. Francis Sports Medicine Newsletter | August 2009

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Calendar
of Events


8/4, 8/11, 8/18, 8/25
Donaldson Cycling
Training Rides


8/11, 8/18. 8/25
Sportsclub
Injury Clinics


8/12
POA Training Ride

8/13 - 8/16
Thornblade Tennis
Tournament


8/15
Tri to Cure

8/16
GO Drive Run

8/27
POA Summer
Race Series


8/27 - 8/29
Upstate
Women's Show


8/29
State Road Race

8/29
CESA Opening Day



Welcome
We would like to
take this opportunity
to welcome our
two newest staff
members, Rebekah
Helton, ATC and
Rachael Helmer,
ATC. Rebekah and
Rachael will be
working with and providing athletic
care for CESA soccer
players and families.

Read their bios >>


Greetings!

Do you have a son or relative playing high school football? Do you bike or mountain bike? Or, have you simply fallen and sprained you wrist?  In this issue we would like to look at a common injury that is not always as simple as it appears: the wrist sprain.


About Wrist Sprains


by Kenny Cabe, ATC
Wrist sprains can occur from a variety of mechanisms; one can fall on an outstretched hand in a bike accident or while hiking, or in the case of football players you can injure it blocking and tackling. Typically, a garden variety wrist sprain will show significant improvement after a week or so of ice, anti-inflammatories and immobilization.

During my years as a college athletic trainer, I
would have football players who would injure their wrist. In the back of my mind I was often concerned that he may have fractured his scaphoid, one of the carpal bones in the wrist. A scaphoid fracture can often be missed. The scaphoid or navicular bone is a carpal bone located in the wrist at the base of the thumb. The scaphoid is possibly the most commonly fractured bone of the wrist. 
Wrist
This injury is traditionally caused by
a fall on the out-stretched hand. This compressed the scaphoid, the radius (one of the bones in the forearm) and the other carpal bones of the hand. This injury is often mistaken for a bad wrist sprain and thus may not be initially immobilized properly. Poor immobilization and a lack of blood supply often lead to what is known as a non-union fracture, or a fracture that does not heal. This often requires surgery.

The athlete will experience pain at the base of the thumb and moderate to severe swelling. Application of ice, immobilization and an X-ray are the preferred management. This scaphoid is the only bone in the wrist th
at often times, when X-rayed, will not appear fractured initially. As a result, medical professionals will perform X-rays on a weekly basis for approximately three weeks to verify or rule out the fracture.

If you have a wrist injury that doesn't seem to be healing properly, you may want to consider talking to your physician about the possibility of a scaphoid fracture.

Learn more about wrist injuries >>



Ask the Doc
Alan Posta MD

W. Arnold Batson, Jr., MD
Piedmont Orthopaedic Associates

 
Q: Is carpal tunnel syndrome caused only by typing too much?

A: Any repetitious motion that puts pressure on the nerves in your hands and wrist can cause carpal tunnel. Sports such as racquetball and handball can cause inflammation in your wrist, as well as occur during sewing, typing, driving, painting, writing, use of vibrating tools, or similar activities. The condition occurs most often in people 30 to 60 years old, and is more common in women than men.  Learn more about this condition >>

Read more about Dr. Batson >>



Featured Event Photo
 
Ultimate Frisbee

Ultimate Frisbee - July 2009


Thank you for your support of St. Francis Sports Medicine. We want to be you first stop
for athletic and active health care. Please call us at 675-HURT, our 'round the clock
injury "hurtline," with any questions you might have. We can also expedite your
physician appointments or provide a speaker to you group.
Send us an email!


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