When to Look for a Sports Medicine Expert on the Lower East Side

Don’t Wait to See a Specialist If You Have Any of These Symptoms

What is the difference between soreness and pain? Knowing the answer is especially important if you’re an athlete. Muscle soreness typically occurs after exercise, whereas pain may surface during or after an athletic activity. Soreness is experienced as a dull ache, tender to touch; pain may be a sharper, more intense sensation accompanied by other symptoms. If you suspect what you are feeling is pain from a sports injury, consider making an appointment with a Sports Medicine expert on the Lower East Side.

The distinction between muscle fatigue and an injury can be difficult to identify. The Sports Medicine specialists at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute accurately diagnose patients and determine the most suitable treatment plans for each individual case. Learn about some of the most common sports injuries and when to see a specialist.

Five Common Sports Injuries and Their Symptoms

No matter what sport you play or exercise you do, you are always using a combination of muscles, tendons, and ligaments to move. With so many working parts, a variety of injuries may occur. Below are five sports injuries our Sports Medicine doctors see frequently.

1. Ankle sprains. Sprains are injuries or tears to one or multiple ligaments. An ankle sprain may result from landing awkwardly on your feet after a jump or pivot, or exercising on an uneven surface. Symptoms include pain, instability, tenderness, bruising, and swelling.

2. Tennis elbow. This is one of the most common elbow injuries in sports and, despite the name, occurs in athletes from multiple sports or from activities of daily living. Small tears form in the tissue that connects the forearm muscles to the elbow. Patients with tennis elbow experience pain on the outside of the elbow and sometimes swelling.

3. Runner’s knee. Chondromalacia patella, commonly known as runner’s knee, refers to a combination of hamstring tightness, quadriceps weakness and core weakness that causes increased stress on the kneecap. This occurs when the knee joint is not probably aligned or the hip joint is weak.

4. Hamstring strain. Athletes who must run or sprint are the most vulnerable to pulling their hamstring muscles. A sprain of this kind causes sharp pain, swelling, and possibly bruising and discoloration.

5. Superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) tear. A SLAP tear forms when the superior labrum becomes detached at or near the biceps tendon insertion site. Athletes who have this injury may experience aching pain, shoulder instability, and decreased strength and range of motion.

When to See a Sports Medicine Expert on the Lower East Side

Let’s say part of your body—perhaps the part you used the most often while exercising—feels off, but you are not in excruciating pain and do not need emergency medical care. How do you know when it’s time to see a doctor for your symptoms? At what point do you stop playing your sport and seek care?

The physicians and surgeons at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute advise all athletes not to play through pain. If any of the below scenarios apply to your current physical state, it is time to schedule an appointment.

• You have had consistent pain that has yet to subside. Even if your pain does not seem to be getting worse, feeling a constant ache is an indicator that an injury has yet to fully heal.

• Your pain and other symptoms are increasing in severity. Do not ignore physical signs that something is wrong. Take note of when your symptoms are exasperated so you can tell your doctor at your appointment.

• Home-care treatments have failed to help. If you are an experienced athlete, you are probably familiar with the R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) method and other ways of dealing with minor injuries. If implementing conservative treatments does not improve your condition after a few days, seek more advanced care from an orthopaedic professional.

• You cannot complete everyday activities because of your injury. Simply put, no one should have to sacrifice essential daily activities (and activities they love) because of an injury.

In need of Sports Medicine treatment in New York? See a Sports Medicine expert on the Lower East Side for superior orthopaedic care. To schedule an appointment, or for more information about sports injuries, please visit us here or contact us at 1-800-321-9999.