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Let’s start with the basics – an ankle sprain occurs when there is tearing of ankle ligaments. The most common types of ankle sprains involve the outside (lateral) portion of the joint and, as stated previously, can occur during virtually any activity.
Runner’s knee can affect one or both knees and is often seen in younger, recreational runners (and twice as many women as men – this is due to the fact that women tend to have wider hips), which results in a greater angling of the thighbone to the knee which, in turn, puts the kneecap(s) under more stress. Symptoms of runner’s knee include tenderness behind or around the patella (knee cap), usually toward its center. You may feel pain toward the back of the knee, a sense of cracking or that the knee’s giving out. The condition tends to worsens when athletes run uphill, downhill, or up and down stairs. A popping sensation is sometimes audible. In the worst cases, the knee may swell.
Having flat feet (which is when the arches on the inside of your feet are flattened, allowing the entirety of the sole to touch the floor when standing) is a relatively common condition, and can occur because arches didn’t develop properly during childhood, due to an injury, or from age and wear-and-tear.
Our hands serve many purposes – they help us eat, write, dress, drive, craft, grasp a tennis racquet, a paintbrush, and more – and, to work properly, require sensation and movement in the muscles, tendons, and joints. However, when a problem with one’s hand occurs, a substantial amount of care must be paid to all the different types of tissues to ensure that future function remains possible.
Some of the most common causes of knee pain are arthritis and disability. And, while there are many types of arthritis, the majority of knee pain is due to either osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis.
If you overstretch your Achilles tendon, it’s possible to either partially or completely rupture it – in this instance, a rupture involves either tearing or separating the tendon fibers, leaving the tendon in a state of injury where it can no longer perform its normal function.
After a break has occurred, it’s possible that small fragments of bone may stay within the joint. Wrist arthroscopy allows for the removal of these fragments, as well as the ability to align the broken pieces of bone and stabilize them by using pins, wires, or screws.
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that normally exists on the ends of bones (which allows the bones to glide easily in the joint) wears away, causing friction as the bones to rub against on another which, in turn, creates damage.
Compartments are groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves in your arms and legs. There is a tough membrane, known as a fascia, that covers these tissues – the fascia doesn’t stretch or expand easily as its main purpose is to hold the tissues in place. For instance, the area between the knee and ankle has four major muscle compartments. Compartment syndrome is most often seen in the calf. However, it can also occur in the other compartments of the lower extremity, as well as in the feet, buttocks, arms, and hands.
In recent years, there have been a multitude of other sports enter the mainstream options for young athletes. For instance, team sports like soccer and lacrosse are now just as common as baseball, football, and basketball. Children are also starting to join teams at younger ages, which means that training – some of which can be quite intensive depending upon the competitiveness and “select” nature of the team – begins earlier as well. And, while it may seem like your little basketball player is going to be the next Michael Jordan, it’s always good to remember that “specializing” in a sport – especially at a young age – can often times do more harm than good. This is due to the fact that kids who concentrate on a single sport at too young an age are much more likely to develop foot and ankle injuries (not to mention burnout) when compared to their more mature counterparts.