Stay in the Game
Sports Injuries Common for People of All Ages

Sports injuries are not necessarily what they sound like. People of any age — from teens to octogenarians — can experience a sports-related injury.

“We see patients with all types of injuries, whether they’re sports-related, or a result of just being active, and the patients have subsequent pain relative to their activity level,” notes Matthew Levine, MD, a member of Inova Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.

	Matthew Levine, MD Join Matthew Levine, MD, for a lecture, “Stay in the Game With Safe Workouts and Injury Prevention.” It will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 10:30 a.m. at 1122 Kirkwood Road in Arlington, VA. Call 1-855-My-Inova (1-855-694-6682) or click here.

Overuse injuries occur in younger populations as athletes train
harder, and in older populations
as people stay active longer, he
says. Also, an increasing number
of older adults means injuries,
such as rotator cuff problems,
are also more prevalent, says Dr.
Levine, who specializes in injuries
of the shoulder and knee.

He recommends the following for
active patients of any age:

• Warm up appropriately.
• If you experience a pain or a problem, modify the activity to prevent it from worsening.

Treatment for pain can include over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications, rest and avoiding exacerbating activities. If you have persistent pain and it is affecting your daily activities or sleep, see a medical professional.

Healing Heartburn
Tackle Acid Reflux Early

Acid reflux, also known as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), is one of the most common medical disorders. Approximately one-third of the population has GERD, according to the American Gastroenterological Association. GERD is characterized by symptoms and/or tissue damage resulting from repeated or prolonged exposure of the lining of the esophagus to acidic contents from the stomach. The two most frequently reported symptoms of GERD are heartburn, which can be described as a burning discomfort that begins behind the breastbone and radiates to the neck and throat; and acid regurgitation, which is characterized by a bitter, sour-tasting fluid.

Treatment begins with lifestyle modifications and acid suppression therapy with medications, explains Behzad Kalaghchi, MD, Medical Director of the Center for Advanced Endoscopy at Inova Fairfax Hospital. These include H-2 receptor blockers, such as the well-known drugs Pepcid AC, Tagamet and Zantac. Proton pump inhibitors, which block acid production and allow time for damaged esophageal tissue to heal, are also used. Examples of these are Prilosec, Prevacid and Nexium.

	Behzad Kalaghchi, MD Join Behzad Kalaghchi, MD, for a lecture, “Heartburn: Is It More Serious Than You Think?” on Tuesday, July 17, at 7 p.m. at the Dolley Madison Library in McLean, VA. Call 1-855-My-Inova (1-855-694-6682) or click here to register.

“The medications are the first step,” Dr. Kalaghchi says. “If they don’t work, then we’ll have a more diagnostic investigation to determine reasons a patient is not responding to treatment and to identify possible complications of GERD.”

The diagnostic workup commonly starts with an endoscopic exam. Esophageal pH monitoring may be the next step for patients who do not respond to treatment or who have atypical symptoms, such as chest pain, chronic cough or asthma.

When left untreated, GERD can potentially become complicated with ulceration of esophageal lining; narrowing and scarring of the esophagus due to a prolonged exposure to acid; Barrett’s esophagus, a precancerous condition; and eventually esophageal cancer.

	Scope It Out Learn more about the Center for Advanced Endoscopy here.
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