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Carlo Anthony Orlando, MD
TIME OUT
How and why a sports injury can
happen to you
YOU’RE DRIVING HARD
down the court, getting
ready to shoot the perfect basket, when you hear a pop
and a searing pain shoots up your leg. You’ve ruptured
your Achilles tendon.
In sports, the thrill of playing can quickly turn into
the agony of injury. Achilles tendon injuries are one
of several common ailments that can land an athlete—
amateur or pro—on the bench. Other common sports
injuries include sprains, strains, stress fractures and
knee problems.
PART OF THE GAME
You can get hurt playing any type
of sport. Injuries can be caused by a variety of things,
including accidents, poor conditioning or training prac-
tices, not wearing the proper equipment, or inadequate
stretching or warm-up before playing.
According to the National Institutes of Health, some
of the most frequent sports injuries include:
Achilles tendon injuries.
“You can injure your Achilles
tendon by stretching, tearing or irritating this thick cord
(tendon), which attaches the back of your heel to your calf
muscle,” explains Carlo Anthony Orlando, MD, orthopedic
surgeon at Glendale Adventist Medical Center (GAMC).
●
What it feels like: You know you’ve got an Achilles
tendon problem if you have pain that gradually gets
worse with exercise.
●
How it happens: Tendinitis is the most common cause
of Achilles tendon injuries. These types of injuries often
occur in middle-aged, part-time athletes who do not
warm up or stretch properly before games or practices.
Sprains and strains.
A sprain happens when you pull
or tear a ligament. A strain occurs when you twist, stretch
or tear a muscle or tendon.
Do you have a sports injury
that needs treatment? GAMC’s
orthopedic specialists can help. For an
appointment, call () -.
●
What it feels like: If you have bruising,
swelling, tenderness and pain or are un-
able to move your limb or joint, you’ve
probably got a sprain.
●
How it happens: Some type of trauma,
such as a fall or blow that knocks a joint
out of place, is usually the cause of a
sprain. Strains usually are the result of
excessive contraction or overstretching
of a muscle or tendon.
Stress fractures.
“A stress fracture is
an overuse injury. If you consistently put
pressure on a bone over a long period of
time, a tiny crack may occur in that bone,”
says Dr. Orlando.
●
What it feels like: If you have pain at
the site that worsens when you’re active,
you may have a stress fracture. Tender-
ness and swelling often accompany the
pain.
●
How it happens: Sports that involve your foot
repeatedly striking the ground—such as tennis, track
and field, and basketball—are often causes of stress
fractures.
Knee injuries.
Because your knee is so complex with
many different components, it’s vulnerable to a variety of
injuries—often involving ligaments and cartilage.
●
What it feels like: If you hurt your knee, you may feel
pain or tenderness under your kneecap at the front or
side of your knee.
●
How it happens: Landing wrong after a jump, get-
ting hit on the front or outside of the knee during a
contact sport, or simply changing directions rapidly
while running.
ALLERGIC RHINITIS
THE BIG
SNEEZE
THE NOSE KNOWS
when allergic rhinitis comes to
call. This allergic reaction causes inflammation inside
the nose—and those telltale signs of sneezing, itching,
dripping and congestion.
So what exactly is behind that sniffly drip? Here’s what
you need to know.
INVASION ALERT
It all starts with the body’s immune
response to an allergen, such as pollen. The immune
system tries to fight the foreign invader. Part of that re-
action is release of a substance called histamine—the trig-
ger of those pesky (and often persistent) nasal symptoms.
Allergy tests can reveal the
sources of your sniffles and sneezes. Call
() - for a GAMC physician referral.
We l l n e s s
Marine Demirjian, MD
Get back in the game
The Sports Performance Program, offered at GAMC’s Therapy
& Wellness Center, is a unique service with individually
designed sessions created to optimize any athlete’s specific
performance, whether you are a young athlete, club player or
seasoned veteran.
The Sports Performance Program is composed of
exercise regimens for enhancing the potential of athletes
involved in:
■
Baseball
■
Football
■
Basketball
■
Soccer
■
Tennis
■
Swimming
■
Water polo
■
Running
■
High-
intensity interval training
■
Volleyball
■
Cheer
Call the Therapy & Wellness Center today at
(323) 255-5409 to learn how we can help you
maximize your athletic performance!
Ot he r symptoms
can crop up too,
such as:
●
Watery
eyes.
●
Headache.
●
Scratchy throat.
●
Hives.
●
Eczema.
Allergic rhini-
tis can be seasonal,
meaning it flares up
at certain times of
the year. This type is
usually caused by pollens from weeds, grasses and trees.
It can also be triggered by spores from mold or fungi.
Chronic rhinitis can happen anytime; may last all year;
and is caused by allergens like cockroaches, dust mites
and animal dander.
TREAT THE SNEEZE
“Several methods can help combat
allergic rhinitis—and it often takes a combination to
get symptoms under control. The first step is to figure
out what allergen is causing the problem (your doctor
can help with that) and then do your best to avoid it,”
says Marine Demirjian, MD, allergy and immunology
specialist at GAMC.
You can also:
●
Rinse your nasal passages with saline solution or use
a saline spray to help rid your nose of allergens.
●
Try over-the-counter or prescription medications.
These can include nasal sprays, antihistamines and
decongestants.
●
Consider allergy shots (immunotherapy). This series
of shots, given over a period of time (usually three to
five years), helps reduce sensitivity to an allergen and
may reduce or even eliminate symptoms. It can be a
good option when medications aren’t providing relief.
Sources: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology; National Institutes of Health
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