Sports Injuries

Injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones are still injuries whether they are due to a sporting event, an automobile accident or gardening.  However, the treatment and rehabilitation of sports injuries can differ markedly from injuries incurred in other ways.  An athlete will have different needs and goals, whether s/he is a weekend warrior or is actively training for the Olympics.

In 1979, Dr. Thomashefsky began teaching a Sports Medicine symposium at UCSB in coordination with professional associates in orthopedics, rheumatology, chiropractic and physical therapy.  This collaborative approach taught about the many ways to treat an injury so the athlete could go back to full activity.   Dr. Thomashefsky has been using this multi-disciplinary approach to provide athletes with an individually tailored treatment plan directed towards achieving a full recovery. 

Recently there has been a great deal of excitement in the medical community around the use of PRP—platelet rich plasma—injections to achieve outstanding results in healing sports related injuries:

In spite of a medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain, Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver Hines Ward was able to catch a 38-yard pass and help his team win the 2009 Super Bowl.  Hines received PRP treatments for his injury, which is believed to have facilitated Hine’s rapid recovery and ability to play.  (See Dr Dines and Dr Positano’s explanation: Click Here for Story

Dr Neal ElAttrache is the Los Angeles Dodgers team physician.   In July 2008, Dr ElAttrache used PRP on a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in the throwing elbow of pitcher Takashi Saito.  Surgery would have ended Mr. Saito’s season.  Instead he returned to pitch in the September pennant race without pain.  Click Here for Story