Bracing, therapy and injections are all options before considering surgery.
The goal for any athlete, both younger and older, is the avoid injury.
Listen to Dr. Nallamothu's recent podcast interview
But even with their best efforts to minimize risks, athletes often find themselves faced with varied degrees of injuries — from wear and tear on their joints to devastating ligament tears and dislocations.
“They're very happy, they're active, they maintain their balance and health, so this is all excellent,” said Dr. Shivajee Nallamothu, an orthopedic surgeon at McLaren Oakland. “And it’s kind of really disappointing to them when they have to decrease their activity.”
There are some cases when surgery cannot be avoided, but with other cases Dr. Nallamothu first considers more non-invasive options — bracing, physical therapy and injections.
“We can treat them with these conservative treatments without having to do any surgeries,” he said. “We start with that first.”
His driving motivation and overall goal, Dr. Nallamothu says, is to get patients back to the active life they enjoyed.
Orthopedic surgery at McLaren Oakland
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