Sports Injury FAQs

What is meant by sports injury?

Sports injury means any injury to the musculoskeletal system that is the bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles of the body that happens due to sporting activities. At the same time, such injuries that happen due to daily activities are also dealt in the same way as sports injuries and can be classified in the same. These include the sprain or injury to the ligaments, tearing of the tendons or muscles or injury to the joint.

How are sports injuries treated?

Subtle injuries like low grade sprains or contusions or bruises are usually treated with rest, ice, compression and elevation along with anti-inflammatory medications, moderate or severe injuries like high grade sprains or rupture of the ligament or tendon or muscle or fractures or injury to the joints are usually treated under supervision of sports physicians by specialized methods with or without need for invasive procedures and surgeries.

How do you prevent sport injuries?

Sport injuries can be avoided or prevented by following a good regimen of stretching and strengthening of the muscles and the joints of the body prior to the sporting event. This requires a sports rehabilitation and training under supervision of the athletic trainer and coaches. Player should also wear appropriate safety gears for the game. They are also provided with strategies to prevent injuries by their athletic trainer or coaches. Appropriate level of health and nutrition is required to avoid and prevent sport injuries.

What are the different types of sport injuries?

Sports injury can involve injury to the muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones or joints. These may be graded from mild to severe according to the amount of involvement. Subtle sport injuries can be treated under supervision of the athletic trainer and with over-the-counter medications along with physical modalities. Severe form of injuries may require medical attention and supervision of a sports physician.

What are the most common injuries in children?

Children have more resilience to injuries and usually have milder form of injuries. Fractures are relatively uncommon in younger population. They may suffer from sprain of the ligament or strain of the muscles or tendon. Children are at high risk of injuries due to their growth plate and may have growth plate injuries or injuries specific to kids like osteochondritis dissecans.

What is a soft tissue injury?

Soft tissue injury contrary to bony injury includes injury to the muscles, tendons or ligaments. They can be graded from mild to severe. Most of the time the soft tissue injuries can be treated by conservative means. Occasionally they may require surgical treatment for high grade injuries.

What is an overuse injury in sport?

Overuse injuries are injuries caused due to over utilization of a specific joint or extremity beyond the limit of a specific person at their level of sport. These injuries are usually vgue and do not have specific structural involvement. These injuries are usually treated with rest and limitation of activity as well as modification of involvement in sports. If not relieved further investigations including imaging like MRI may be needed to found the cause of pain.

What is an acute injury?

An acute injury contrary to the chronic injury are injuries that are usually caused by specific events like fall or hit or an accident. They present immediately or within a few hours after the injury with symptoms like pain, swelling, limitation of movement.

What is ankle sprain?

An ankle sprain means injury to the ligament of the ankle which can be present commonly on the inner or outer aspect of the ankle. It is usually caused by twisting of the ankle while any sporting activities or even walking or running. They can be graded from mild to severe and may be treated with rest or a need for brace or boot. Occasionally, a sprain may be severe enough causing instability of the ankle and requiring surgical management for treatment and re-establishment of the stability of the ankle joint.

What is indirect trauma?

Indirect trauma as oppose to a direct trauma means injury to a specific area of the body while the body is either hit at a different area or is involved in an impact at a different area like twisting of the leg causing injury to the knee.

What is the difference between a sprain and a strain?

Sprain usually means injury to the ligament while strain usually means injury to the tendon or the muscle. Both can be treated with conservative means in cases of mild-to-moderate involvement. If the involvement is severe or high grade, then either of the two may require physician supervision and a possible surgical intervention.

What is meant by microtrauma?

Microtrauma as opposed to macrotrauma usually means injury or insult caused due to repetitive movement or activity causing small injury every time which over time may present as a major involvement. Microtears in ligament or muscle or tendon or cartilage may heal by itself if allowed to rest or improve over time. Elevation as well as splinting and use of cold/het with anti-inflammatory medications may help in rapid resolution of these tears.

How do muscles tear?

Muscles usually tear due to overloading of the muscle which can be sudden or acute or on a long-term basis of chronic muscle tear can be partial or complete. Low grade tears are usually treated with conservative means but high grade or complete muscle tears may require surgical intervention.

Can a muscle tear heal on its own?

Low grade muscle tear can heal themselves if allowed appropriate rest with or without bracing and with use of anti-inflammatory medications.

How long does it take for a soft tissue injury to heal?

Soft tissue injury depending on the severity may take two to six weeks to heal completely. The patients who are involved in sporting activities may require specific rehabilitation with a physical therapist or athletic trainer to recover completely and return to their preinjury level of play.

Can soft tissue injuries be permanent?

Soft tissue injuries usually heal well and completely if treated appropriately. If the soft tissue injuries are neglected or if they are of high grade requiring invasive procedure, then occasionally the results may not be good enough to cause permanent resolution of soft tissue injuries.

What is a grade 1 ankle sprain?

Ankle sprains are usually graded from 1, 2, 3 depending on the severity of the ankle sprain. Grade 1 sprain is partial low grade sprain involving a few fibers of the ligament. These are usually treated with conservative needs with or without requirement for a boot to provide rest. The patients are asked to avoid activities that may worsen the symptoms.

How do you know when your ankle is fractured?

Ankle fracture usually requires high energy trauma which may be in the form of twisting of the ankle or fall. These patients will usually have acute onset of pain and swelling. They may also be unable to bear weight on the involved ankle and may be limping. A physical examination by medical personnel may be suggestive of a fracture. Diagnosis is confirmed with radiological examination in the form of x-rays or occasionally a CT or MRI.

Can you walk with a sprained ankle?

The patients with low grade sprain can usually walk either with the help of brace or compression sleeve. Moderate sprains may require a boot for management of the sprained ankle and the patients can still bear weight on them.

Can you still walk with a broken ankle?

If the fracture around the ankle involves a smaller bone or a chip, the patient may be able to walk and bearing weight though with discomfort. These patients are usually treated either in a boot or surgically to gain complete healing and resolution of the symptoms.

How long does it take for a grade 2 sprained ankle to heal?

Grade 2 sprained ankle or a moderate sprain of the ankle may take up to six to eight weeks to heal completely. These patients are usually treated in boot along with rest and anti-inflammatory medications. Later in the treatment period these patients can be involved in physical therapy and rehabilitation program to recover full range of motion as well as strength around the ankle.

How do you treat a ligament injury?

A ligament injury, if partial, is usually treated with RICE protocol (rest, ice, elevation, and compression) along with anti-inflammatory medication. If the ligament is near complete or complete, then the patient may need repair or reconstructive surgery for the ligament to regain stability of the joint.

Which muscle allows flexion in the elbow?

There are multiple muscles that allow flexion at the elbow. The most important of all these is the biceps. The other two important muscles that help in flexion of the elbow are brachialis and brachioradialis.

Which muscle extends the arm of the elbow?

The major muscle that help in extension of the arm at the elbow is the triceps muscles. Another small muscles called Anconeus also helps in the extension of the elbow.

Why is a dislocated elbow a medical emergency?

A dislocated elbow, like most other joint dislocations is a medical emergency because it needs to be reduced to decrease the pressure of the dislocated bones on the surrounding nerves and vessels as well as to maintain the blood supply to the bones of the joint itself. Injury to nerve and vessels around the elbow may lead to temporary or permanent deficit.

How do you treat olecranon bursitis?

Olecranon bursitis is initially treated with RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression and elevation), along with anti-inflammatory medications. If infection is ruled out, a cortisone injection can also be given to help decrease pain and swelling. If the patient does not improve with conservative measures, a surgical treatment may be required for the treatment of olecranon bursitis.

What causes cubital tunnel syndrome?

Cubital tunnel is present on the inner side of the elbow and the ulnar nerve passes through it. Cubital tunnel syndrome can be caused by many reasons, which decrease the space provided to the ulnar nerve. This can be caused due to injury, fracture, dislocation of the elbow, repetitive stress, increase in soft tissue due to multiple reasons, hence causing compression of the ulnar nerve.

What are the symptoms of ulnar nerve entrapment?

Ulnar nerve entrapment causes compression of the ulnar nerve, and hence will present with tingling and numbness in the forearm and hand, especially on the inner side of the hand. It may also present with pain in the elbow as well as weakness of the fingers. Long standing cases may have atrophy of hand muscles along with weakness.

What do you do when your elbow/knee hurts?

A person can take anti-inflammatory as well as use ice or heat along with rest to decrease the pain in the elbow. If the pain is not relieved with all these measures, then the person should seek medical attention for proper diagnosis and management.

What does it feel like to have fibromyalgia?

Patients with fibromyalgia usually have pain at multiple sites in their body, especially in their back and other joints. They also have multiple knots under the skin over the area of pain, especially over the back. These patients may also be suffering from joint pain and swelling.

These questions have been personally answered by:

I am Vedant Vaksha, Fellowship trained Spine, Sports and Arthroscopic Surgeon at Complete Orthopedics. I take care of patients with ailments of the neck, back, shoulder, knee, elbow and ankle. I personally approve this content and have written most of it myself.

Please take a look at my profile page and don't hesitate to come in and talk.

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4.9
Based on 116 reviews
I had an extremely friendly and personalized medical consult with Dr Karkare. Dr Karkare was very knowledgeable and very professional. His communication skills was extremely good and explained my medical condition in very simple words. The office visit was very helpful in understanding my medical condition. Thank you Dr Karkare
Padmanabhan Nagaraj
20:49 25 Sep 23
Dr. Karlkare and his staff were excellent. Dr. Karkare explained everything clearly and took his time getting to know my Dad.
Anna Acker
22:46 07 Sep 23
Dr Vedant Vaksha had done emergency surgery in 2020 after a traumatic injury.His office at Complete Orthopedics handled the continued care thereafter.Dr V and his staff had been Professional and friendly throughout the process, taking the time to explain all the questions on how to proceed and what to expect.Whenever I needed to speak with Dr V or the office they were a phone call away, without waiting or calling several numbers like in so many other medical offices.The office was accommodating to scheduling to my needs at all times. Dr Vedant Vaksha earned the following5 out of 5 stars, highly recommended.
John Kuey
20:58 05 Sep 23
Dr. Vaksha helped me recover from an injury. I am very thankful that he took the time to explain the best treatment for my injury. Also thankful for the wonderful office staff!
Joseph Castelli
22:30 02 Aug 23
The office is wonderful!… Dr Paresh was very helpful and attentive and made my sister in laws recovery so much better.. Thank you for everything
Jazz Lorenzo
17:48 14 Jul 23
The ladies are very welcoming, the service is great, the doctor is very professional and caring and the building is super clean. I really like to come here, the atmosphere is very friendly... Come and you will love it too.
Joan Carasco
14:41 30 Jun 23
Dr. Nakul Karkare is awesome! And patriotic! Thank you, Dr. Karkare for displaying the American Flag in your waiting room, honoring and mourning our military personnel, this Memorial Day, who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
Dave
00:52 30 May 23
Excellent and skilled orthopedic practice specializing in joint replacements. Dr Karkare was trained at the Hospital for Special Surgery and has excellent results, as do his associates!! Would gladly refer family members to the practice!!
Eclectic54
00:24 30 May 23
I had such a wonderful experience with Complete Orthopedics in Stony Brook. Not only did Dr. Kuo fix my broken wrist with such kindness and care, but the office staff, including Billing, Reception and the X-Ray Technician, was always so helpful, going out of their way to ensure that each patient felt welcome, answering any questions with a smile, and ensuring any issues with insurance/billing were handled with the utmost professionalism. I highly recommend their practice!
Victoria DeMatteo
19:49 10 May 23
I'm very happy St. Catherine's sent me to this office for treatment after I broke my collar bone! Unfortunately the break was too severe to repair on its own and I had to have it rebuilt a week after the injury. Dr. Vaksha did a great job fixing it. I'm three months out, and I have full use of the arm and shoulder. The whole office staff is very professional, accommodating, and welcoming. I hope to not need orthopedic services again, but Dr. Vaksha will be my number one choice if I or anyone in family suffers such am injury.
Tina Rivera
20:42 08 May 23
No one likes going to the doctor. But these people make it painless. I go for knees, hips and shoulders. At almost 70 Complete Orthopedics keeps my active life style running smoothly. Whether chasing my Grandson and even surfing again, I highly recommend them!!
Thomas Slavin
15:02 02 Mar 23
Dr. Kuo knowledgeable and competent surgeon- very good experience and more importantly great result.
Joseph McCoy
21:23 25 Feb 23
Dr Vaksha was so kind and helpful. He took extra time with us and explained things so thoroughly. Highly recommend. Office very clean.
Susan Bosinius
20:20 19 Feb 23
Dr Vaksha, is a great doctor very professional knows what he talking about. Treat patient with upmost respect. Thank You
Troy Spencer
16:46 19 Jan 23
Dr. Karkare is an amazing doctor, very caring and attentive, the girl at the front desk is very kind and helpful. .elizabeth .thank you so much .
blanca ventura
21:32 26 Oct 22
Been going to this place before my accident and after I had my knee surgery. So happy how I been treated and how well I am getting. Thank you all and specially Dr. VAKSHA for everything and getting back on track.
Ita Opico
19:01 25 Oct 22
Love this place From the minute I called I was treated kindly. When I arrived The Dr saw me right away he was compassionate and ordered the appropriate tests for me. I came back in for my follow up and had the same great experience.
Christine Rostock
21:28 23 May 22
Dr Vaksha and Dr karkare are 2 of the best orthopedic doctors around my wife Susan had a very serious broken ankle in March of 2019 she didn't think she was going to walk again Dr vaksha did an excellent surgery on her ankle he said it was his toughest he ever did he put a lot of hardware in her ankle and told her she would be alright she made remarkable recovery thanks to his surgery as of now she regained 100 percent use of her ankle she would highly recommend him to anyone. My own experience with Dr karkare has been wonderful he takes his time with you listens to what you have to say and prescribes various treatments and is very caring I would highly recommend him to anyone I would give both doctors a 10 plus rating we are very happy with them the best.
Harry Jones
23:31 19 May 22
Complete orthopedics is a wonderful place to go when you hurt or injured a great staff and wonderful doctors very knowledgeable and helpful I would recommend this place to all of my family and friends that is in me of orthopedic care I give them 10 thumbs up
Wayne Pemberton
17:39 18 May 22
The staff is very professional and helpful. Dr. Vaksha is excellent. He takes time to listen and offer suggestions to help you get better. I’m very thankful and happy to be a patient here at Complete Orthopedics.
Phoenix Rising
19:54 16 May 22
Dr.Karkare is the best. He listens to everything and explains everything I recommend him to everyone. I am so happy he is my doctor.
Myrna James
00:48 13 May 22
Dr.Kuo is amazing very attentive,caring,and passionate and staff is awsome too.Thank you for everything Dr.kuo.
Erick Murillo
23:17 12 May 22
I was in a car accident November 1 I was referred to Dr. Vaksha For shoulder surgery . I he was amazing he made me feel very comfortable and explained everything that was going to happen from surgery all the way through my physical therapy highly recommend Dr. Vaksha
Yolanda Ojeda
19:37 09 May 22
My appointment with Dr. Vaksha was amazing. Dr. Vaksha was very thorough and kind. I would refer this office to anyone who needs a great orthopedic doctor.
John Senechal
19:54 05 May 22
Scheduling my appointment was quick and easy. The staff was super friendly and down to earth. I was seen on time. The appropriate test, “x-rays” were taken before the conversation with doctor, something I really liked, test for analysis and conversation was done upfront. Dr. V had a great personality and was no BS, straight forward diagnosis and a play on next steps. I am happy I found them and would refer them to friends and family.
Sam
00:46 03 May 22
I have seen Dr. Kuo two times already and he's awesome along with his staff. Very friendly office and I'm glad to be a patient here.
Camaris A
20:01 28 Apr 22
Amazing team!! Very caring, profesional, and friendly!! Dr. Kevin Kuo, you are the best, very passionate, caring, and helping thank you for getting me better and being so kind to me! Elizabeth you the best thank you for you help always and you big smile and positive actitud❤️🙏🏼
breidy valerio
19:01 22 Apr 22
The staff is truly exceptional, they make you feel comfortable and welcomed. The doctors are amazing,always professional, compassionate and great listeners.
Elizabeth Collado
03:25 09 Apr 22
What a great place! The place is clean and organized.The staff is wonderful. Setting up physical therapy is right there as well.I'm so glad I found this place.
Donna Anne
22:45 05 Apr 22
This was my 1st time breaking something in my 27 years on this planet. I was recommended here by a friend Dr. Vashka helped me from day 1 and still continues to check in on me and my healing ankle. Would highly recommend
tyron davis
16:06 01 Apr 22
Brand new office, same great doctors! Rooms are clean, plenty of parking, physical therapy attached, Dr. Karkare and his staff are awesome. Thank you!
Emily B
02:49 24 Mar 22
Dr.VAksha is the best, I love the way he treats me as his patient, he is caring,understanding and very attentive to my needs
Mirna Caballero
14:53 03 Mar 22
Great staff. Dr. Vaksha is awesome and takes the time to listen to his patients. He is very compassionate. I would highly recommend this office.
Bebe Doyle
01:24 23 Feb 22
After suffering from a severe ankle injury Dr. V was able to help me heal and return back to work completely to a job where I stand for 12 hours a day. The office is very clean and I appreciated the reminders of my appointments via phone call and through text. The patient portal made it easy for me to access all my documents including work notes. The office staff is wonderful and Rebecca was able to schedule me with a busy schedule and awesome at answering all of my questions including referring me to a great physical therapy office. I highly recommend this office to anyone who’s looking for knowledgeable and kind orthopedic office.
Elizabeth Birchwell
21:31 28 Jan 21
The staff here are great, I was seen at the time of my appointment and was well taken care of!
Shaun Berry
18:14 07 Jan 21
They are an excellent practice. The front and back office people are amazing and so helpful. Rebecca is such a kind and understanding person. I had an issue with paperwork and she cleared it right up. Dr. Karkare is very knowledgeable, helpful, and caring.
Matt S.
19:31 18 Nov 20
Rebecca K. - What a true burst of sunshine. Very friendly and definitely an asset to the practice!
Laura Aston
18:17 17 Nov 20
Great experience, the Doctor is nice but the staff is incredible. I worked with Linda, who was profession and assisted me beyond what any person has done at other practices. Complete Ortho should be complimented for having such a person on their staff.I highly recommend this place!!!
Joe Allen
17:26 17 Nov 20
Linda and Becca they are so good ever time I come they are very nice I would tell everyone I no to come to this office..
Barbara Victor
16:45 17 Nov 20
I was rear ended in an auto accident , Dr Vashka was recommended by a friend of mine .I was experiencing Back , neck , and shoulder pain . After a thorough examination and given exercises to do at home , I am feeling much better , and I ended up avoiding surgery . The staff at Complete Ortho is extremely attentive and show great care when making an appointment and are very friendly and i never waited more than 5 minutes for my appointment . So I would strongly recommend Complete Orthopedics for any aches and pains that one might be experiencing.....
Bill Becht
04:44 17 Nov 20
It was the afternoon of Friday Sept. 24. We were in Pt. Jefferson and my wife, Mary Ann, broke her hip. We went to Mather Hospital and it was determined that she would have to have an operation to have it repaired. This would be her third time under the knife in the past year. It just so happened that we were very fortunate enough to have Dr. Karkare, who was on standby, perform the surgery. He put in a rod and two screws in her hip. She spent a few days in the hospital and then went to Gurwin rehabilitee for another few weeks.It has now been almost six weeks and we both worked the election the other day. If it wasn’t for Dr. Karkare’s expertise she never would have been able to work. She is able to walk with a walker and is doing physical therapy three times a week.We can not thank the doctor enough for the compassion and dedication that he puts into his work. It allows Mary Ann do the things that she likes to do, even on a limited basis for a while. I know that with her will, perseverance and the great work that the surgeon performed she will be back on her feet in no time.Sincerely:John V. PlumpEast Northport, NY 11731
Jack Harris
14:36 06 Nov 20
In the year of 2018 I was referred to Dr. Karkare because I was experiencing severe knee joint pain. After exhausting physical therapy and trying to labor through the pain, I had to make a quality of life decision. Total knee replacement was the only viable option. Dr. Karkare made my decision easy as he walked me through the whole process from surgery to recovery.On 12/13/19 ( Friday the 13th) I enter Lenox Hill Hospital in great hands. From the time I entered Dr. Karkare’s office for the first time until now, his staff has been amazing. Andrea the medical coordinator walked me through all the paper work and necessary preparations for the surgery. Courtesy and kind would be an understatement. Dr. Karkare went over and beyond from the wellness checks and phone calls all to assure me that I was important to him. This was the right decision no pain and no limp. Complete Orthopedics should be your choice!
Kenneth Randolph
22:18 25 Sep 20
Dr. Vadshka has a great bedside manner. He really takes his time and explains treatment options.
T Lee
12:33 09 Sep 20
I suffered with pain in both knees for years. My orthopedic doctor kept recommending knee replacement . I fought it for years, as I was just afraid. When I had no choice and could barely walk , it was recommended I see Dr. Karkare. We set up a consultation and my wife and I left his office feeling totally confident and comfortable with moving ahead with the surgery. He explained everything to us, and the office staff set everything up for us and made the process easy. So about one month after our initial meeting I had the first knee done. I was up walking mere hours after the surgery, and on the workout machines the next morning. I went home two days after the surgery, and yes walked my daughter down the aisle at her wedding only one week after the surgery without even a cane! Three months later I had the other knee done and went home the very next day. Dr. Karkare put my fears to rest . I would highly recommend him. His expertise gave me my life back. Thank you Dr. Karkare.SincerelyVito Congro
Ethel Congo
23:58 12 Aug 20
Dr Rhodin really cares for his patients. When I see him he makes sure to review my progress in detail.
Micki Cahill
15:03 08 Feb 20
My mom had a total hip replacement by dr karkare. He is the BEST orthopedic doctor.Her incision is almost invisable.She is going back for her other hip next week. The office staff is the best, love Andrea.You wont find a better doctor.
Ryan
21:06 13 Jul 18
There is no better Orthopedic doctor you will find. Broke my ankle three places on a Saturday. Called Dr. Karkare. He had is team ready at the hospital and operated on me within 6 hours after my injury. Now After 3 months of great care by him and his staff, I am walking to normalcy.
Spacecom Tel
04:13 23 Mar 18
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