Tens of millions of Americans suffer from chronic pain — pain that lasts longer than six months. Chronic pain can be mild or excruciating, episodic or continuous, merely inconvenient or totally incapacitating. With chronic pain, signals of pain remain active in the nervous system for weeks, months, or even years. This can take […]
The patellar tendon connects the kneecap (the patella) to the shin bone. This is part of the ‘extensor mechanism’ of the knee, and together with the quadriceps muscle and the quadriceps tendon, these structures allow your knee to straighten out, and provide strength for this motion. The patellar tendon, like other tendons, is made of […]
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the United States and throughout the world. Millions of people participate in the sport at all levels of competition. Whether you are playing for the neighborhood championship or the NBA title, you can get injured. Basketball injuries can be separated into two general categories: overuse injuries […]
Athletes improve by pushing themselves – but pushing too hard can cause small cracks in the bone, most often in the feet or lower legs. Stress fracture, the bane of both competitive and recreational athletes, is a fairly common injury that takes time to heal. Stress fractures happen when a person attempts more than their […]
Iliotibial band syndrome, or ITBS, is due to inflammation of the iliotibial band, a thick band of fibrous tissue that runs down the outside of the leg. The iliotibial band begins at the hip and extends to the outer side of the shin bone (tibia) just below the knee joint. The band functions in coordination […]
Iliotibial band syndrome is a common knee injury. The most common symptom is lateral knee pain caused by inflammation of the distal portion of the iliotibial band. The iliotibial band is a thick band of fascia that crosses the hip joint and extends distally to insert on the patella, tibia, and biceps femoris tendon. In […]
The Achilles tendon injury is one of the more serious sports injuries, for professional and amateur athletes alike. The Achilles tendon is one of the longer tendons in your body, stretching from the bones of your heel to your calf muscles. You can feel it — a springy band of tissue at the back of […]
What is plantar fasciitis? Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. The plantar fascia is the flat band of tissue (ligament) that connects your heel bone to your toes. It supports the arch of your foot. If you strain your plantar fascia, it gets weak, swollen, and irritated (inflamed). Then your heel […]
Ankle injuries are often thought of as sports injuries. But you don’t have to be an athlete or even a “weekend warrior” to turn your ankle and hurt it. Something as simple as walking on an uneven surface can cause a painful, debilitating sprain. Ankle injuries can happen to anyone at any age. Every day […]
Shoulder pain is an extremely common complaint, and there are many common causes of this problem. It is important to make an accurate diagnosis of the cause of your symptoms so that appropriate treatment can be directed at the cause. If you have shoulder pain, some common causes include: Bursitis | Rotator Cuff Tendonitis The […]
