Sports Injury Doctor
Suffering from a Sports Injury? Our Physicians Want to Help You!
One minute you were leaping in the air, seconds away from making a spectacular catch, and the next minute you are on the ground doubled over with pain in your knee or shoulder.
Now, simple tasks like getting dressed, walking upstairs, or combing your hair have become a painful ordeal. Are you dealing with pain as a result of a sports injury? If so, our doctors want to help you.
Shoulder and knee injuries are common sports-related injuries. High-impact sports like football can lead to acromioclavicular joint
(ACJ) or labrum injuries in the shoulder. Sports that require fast starts and stops, such as soccer, tennis or baseball, may result in anterior or posterior cruciate ligament (ACL/PCL) damage as well as damage to the cartilage of the knee.
With more than 23 years of experience, our physicians are uniquely qualified to address sports-related shoulder and knee injuries.
Common Sports-related Shoulder Injuries
The sports injuries that our physicians treat range from acute to chronic and can include the following injuries.
Rotator cuff tear: A rotator cuff tear is where any one of the four muscles that make up the rotator cuff in the shoulder are torn or strained. These muscles are referred to as the rotator cuff because they have the responsibility to rotate your arm and shoulder. They also serve as a supportive cuff for the shoulder joint.
You may have a rotator cuff tear if you have sudden pain in your shoulder along with a tearing feeling. The symptoms may radiate down your arm, and it may be painful sleeping on the injured shoulder. Sufferers may experience shoulder impingement, especially when they move their arms over their head. The pain gradually gets worse, and shoulder weakness will eventually reach the point where you are not able to lift your arm up to the side.
Rotator cuff tears are commonly seen in athletes who play sports involving throwing motions that cause rapid arm deceleration or rapid forearm stoppage. Our physicians can help you recover from a rotator cuff injury by supervising your full rehabilitation program that includes strength training exercises, stretching, and in some instances surgical procedures.
Dislocated shoulder: A dislocated shoulder is a very painful injury. It is often connected to playing contact sports or falling while playing a sport. The injury causes the upper arm bone to dislocate from its natural position. The result is severe damage to the surrounding soft tissues. A dislocated shoulder requires immediate medical attention. Although movies and television give the idea that a person can relocate the shoulder on their own, this is dangerous. A full rehabilitation program supervised by our physicians is a must if the athlete wants to avoid re-injuring the shoulder.
Other common sports-related shoulder injuries include:
- Glenoid labrum tear
- AC joint separation
- Frozen shoulder
- Shoulder Impingement Syndrome (very common in swimmers)
- Deltoid muscle strain
- Shoulder subluxation
- Shoulder sprain
- Clavicle fracture
- Deltoid contusion
Do I Need to See a Doctor for My Torn Meniscus?
When you tear your meniscus, in essence you have damaged the cartilage in your knee. Your meniscus serves four primary functions.
- Absorbs shock during movement
- Distributes your weight load in your knee
- Moves lubricating fluid around the knee
- Secures a proper fit between the femur and tibia
One of your first indications that you have a torn meniscus is intense and localized pain as well as swelling in the knee. The swelling usually occurs a day after the injury and is not always in the exact location of the pain. There are many other typical symptoms, too.
- A locking or catching of your knee
- Loss of mobility
- Joint contracture
Don’t leave the health of your knees up to chance. As a specialist in sports medicine and orthopedic surgery, PPOA physicians have the experience, knowledge, aptitude, and training needed to help you address your pain in order to regain mobility. Contact us today. We can help you get back to living a normal life.
Other Common Knee Sports Injuries
ACL tears: ACL, or the anterior cruciate ligament is key to stabilizing your knee, and is often damaged while playing sports. The ACL does not have the ability to heal well on its own and may require surgical intervention to restore its stability. Your ACL is damaged, when your knee is forcibly twisted or forcibly hyperextended. These injuries are common in sports that require athletes to change direction quickly, stop suddenly, or that present an opportunity for them to jump or land incorrectly.
Cartilage damage: Knee cartilage damage is caused by sudden impact, trauma, fracture, or a fall. Your cartilage is flexible connective tissue that covers your knee joint, reducing friction and serving as a shock absorber. Football players, hockey players, and other athletes who are involved in contact sports or sports that require a twisting motion have a high chance of cartilage injury.
The physician may use an arthroscope, along with MRI to diagnose cartilage lesions. Treatment could include pain medication, a brace, plant, physical therapy, and in severe cases surgical procedures.
An Expert in the Field of Orthopedic Medicine
With an undergraduate degree from St. Joseph University, more than two decades of experience, and a fellowship conducted with the renowned Tom Winters M.D., Dr. McGraw has developed a reputation as someone you can trust with your sports-related injuries. His deep understanding of the human anatomy as well as the type of injuries people sustain while playing sports, especially those associated with the knees and shoulders, has earned him the confidence of his patients. He has helped many recover from their injuries, and he can help you.
Call for an Appointment Today
When you injure your shoulder or your knee playing sports, it can feel like the injury is what will define you for the rest of your life, but it does not have to. Dr. McGraw is one of the most experienced doctors of sports medicine and orthopedic surgery in our area. Let him use his experience to help you. You can even see him on the same day you call!
Contact us now and start living life pain-free again.