Non-operative sports medicine

Heart issues tried to bench Gary — see how he won

You pour your heart into the things you love — and nothing prepares you for the moment your health threatens to take them away.

That’s what Gary faced at 70, when heart issues nearly pulled him away from the baseball field. But with expert care from David Carfagno, DO, and a personalized plan focused on wellness, Gary stayed strong — and stayed in the game.

Upper extremities

• Biceps tendonitis, tendon tear/repair: Repeated lifting, pulling, reaching or throwing can lead to tendonitis or tears in your biceps.
• Elbow (olecranon) bursitis: Bursae are thin, slippery cushion sacs that contain lubricating fluid between the bones and soft tissues. The olecranon bursa lies below the point elbow bone. If the olecranon bursa becomes irritated and inflamed, fluid accumulates, and bursitis develops.
• Tennis elbow: Tennis, other racquet sports and other activities can lead to what is known as “tennis elbow.” You can get this condition from overuse which causes an inflammation of the tendons joining the forearm muscles on the outside of the elbow, causing pain and tenderness.
• Wrist sprains/tendonitis: A sprain is a ligament injury. Ligaments are a tissue band that connects your bones. The wrist has many ligaments, and a sprain occurs if your wrist is bent forcefully. Tendonitis is inflammation in a tendon or tendon covering.
• Hand/finger sprains/dislocations: If you have a sprain, you have injured the soft tissues. A dislocation occurs when your adjoining bones in the hand and finger are displaced and no longer touch.

Lower extremities

• Runner’s knee: This is caused by anterior knee pain syndrome, malalignment where your kneecap and thigh bone meet, and when the cartilage your kneecap softens.
• Ankle sprain: You can get this soft-tissue injury when the ligaments connecting bones pull, stretch or tear.
• Knee tendonitis/bursitis: You have knee bursitis when the knee bursa (thin, slippery cushion sacs between the bones and soft tissues) becomes irritated or inflamed causing fluid to accumulate.
• Ankle/foot tendonitis: This is caused by a series of small stresses repeatedly aggravating any tendon located in or around the ankle and foot, leading to inflammation.
• Plantar fasciitis: The strong band of tissue that supports your foot arch becomes irritated and inflamed. This is a common source of pain on the bottom of your heel.

Back and hip

• Back pain/injury: Common back injuries include sprains and strains, herniated discs and fractured vertebrae.
• Hip bursitis: Bursae are thin, slippery cushion sacs that contain lubricating fluid between the bones and soft tissues. You have hip bursitis when the large bursa that covers the bony part of the hip becomes irritated.

Strains, fractures and growth plate injury

• Strains: These injuries can occur in your muscles and/or tendons from any form of exercise, even walking.
• Fractures: You can have a complete or partial fracture or break of a bone.
• Growth plate overuse: You have areas of developing cartilage tissue near the end of long bones, called growth plates. Because these plates are the last portions of bones to harden, they are vulnerable to injury.