Achilles Tendinitis

Tendinitis literally means inflammation of the tendon. This is usually caused by prolonged standing and walking or shoes that press on the back of the heel, leading to irritation and inflammation of the Achilles tendon. The most common symptoms are localized tenderness over the back of the heel and pain when pushing down with the toes. This is most pronounced when walking up an incline or trying to jump. Shoes with a slight heel may relieve the pain and shoes without a back are often the most comfortable.

This problem can normally be resolved with rest, modified shoes temporarily, and oral anti-inflammatory medications. If that is not effective, physical therapy or a walking boot may be needed to resolve the problem.

Achilles Tendinosis

Tendinosis is usually...

This often means not being able to return to the game immediately. One question that comes up often, usually after the injured athlete has gotten home and the initial efforts – Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation, have not completely eliminated the pain and swelling, is whether an X-ray is necessary. The two benefits of an X-ray are to evaluate for a broken bone and to elevate the alignment of the ankle joint. Sprains can cause just as much pain and swelling as a broken bone so it is not easy to tell the difference by just looking at the ankle. There are a few simple rules that have been identified to help determine when an X-ray is helpful. There are known as the Ottawa rules, developed in Canada by emergency room physicians to help them reduce the number of X-rays performed when evaluating this...

This is a sad but true reality for many of my patients. There are a variety of treatments that we recommend for managing knee arthritis. I have another blog post where I provided an overview of these different options. Today I want to share with you a new treatment option we have available at Davis Orthopedics in case the other options either don’t work or are simply not appealing.

This treatment is a more natural way of approaching the problem, using your own body’s defense and recovery systems to help keep you active and moving. The treatment is known as Platelet Rich Plasma. This fits in the same...

I recently saw someone in my office that was visiting from out of town. She has pretty bad knee arthritis but was scared to have knee replacement surgery. She has been dealing with her pain and limited function by taking some medication and some supplements and has started using a cane to help with her balance. She expressed some frustration to me about how her doctor back at home treated her. He had suggested to her that she needed to have knee replacement surgery and when she was reluctant to proceed with that, he made her feel like she was wasting his time.

As a surgeon myself, I spend time in the operating room and around other surgeons so I understand how they think and how they approach problems. Surgery is a very specialized skill and most surgeons feel like they are helping patients most when they are doing surgery.

If all you have is a hammer,...

Concussion

Understanding what a concussion is, how it should be treated, and when it is safe to return to activities are important for the athlete, parent, and treating physician. Below is a brief outline of the guidelines for returning to athletics after a concussion and some links to additional information.

Return to Play

Baseline (Step 0): After a concussion is diagnosed, or suspected, the athlete should be immediately removed from participation in athletic activities. The athlete needs to symptom-free for a minimum of 24 hours before starting this phased recovery. Keep in mind, the younger the athlete, the more conservative the treatment.

Step 1: Light Aerobic Exercise

The Goal: only to increase an athlete’s heart...

The knee joint has several important parts that allow the complex movement involved in rising from a chair, walking, and pivoting. Most of us take these movements for granted because we can do them hundreds of times in a single day without giving them any thought at all. But with a torn meniscus, even getting out of your car or walking across a parking lot can be a real challenge.

The meniscus is a small disc of cartilage that sits between the thigh bone and the shin bone in the deep part of the knee. There are actually two menisci in each knee, one in the inner half of the knee (the medial meniscus), the other in the outer half of the knee (the lateral meniscus). The meniscus serves to help even out the pressure in the knee when you are standing or walking. It also helps the knee move...