Winter Injuries Don’t Have to Keep You Down

When you do suffer an injury, it is a good idea to seek the care of an orthopaedic specialist when:

• You hear and feel a painful popping sound
• It’s painful to bear weight on your injury
• Your injury doesn’t get better with time, or even gets worse

“When a patient is experiencing these types of symptoms, it’s a good idea for them to come in so we can evaluate the patient and see what’s really going on,” says Dr. Polsky.

Hip Injuries Are More Common Than You Think

Hip injuries are also common in the winter months and are often an underdiagnosed problem.

“Many people think their hip pain is a groin pull, but if you’re going on a couple months with pain in this area, it could be something related to the hip,” says Dr. Polsky. “People don’t realize there’s cartilage in the hip that can tear.”

Dr. Polsky is one of only a few surgeons in the region specially trained to perform a specialized procedure to repair torn hip cartilage called hip arthroscopy. According to Dr. Polsky, hip arthroscopy is a relatively new procedure that employs an arthroscope, or small camera, inside of the hip joint to allow the surgeon to effectively visualize the damaged area and perform a minimally invasive procedure to repair the joint. Torn cartilage in the hip and even bony abnormalities around the hip can be corrected arthroscopically.

An Ounce of Prevention

Though winter injuries are common, there are things you can do to prevent them.

• Warm up and stretch. Cold muscles are more prone to injury
• Wear the right protective gear
• Know your limits. Don’t try moves that are above your skill level

With a few precautions, you can enjoy your winter sports season.

Are you or someone you know suffering from a winter activity related injury? Contact the specialists at Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland for a thorough evaluation. Call (410) 644-1880 or visit www.mdbonedocs.com.