Take your team doctor's advice!

"Why is 'clipping' in football a 15 yard penalty?"
Clipping is when a runner is struck from the outside of the knee and this forces the knee to bend inward and places the runner in serious risk of a medial collateral ligament tear. This is a season ending injury and requires corrective surgery.

"How do I tell a stress fracture from a real fracture?"
Stress fractures are usually the result of overuse and can be associated with the gradual increase in a specific activity over the course of a few weeks. It is a nagging injury which reoccurs when the activity is resumed. In an acute fracture there is usually a sudden onset and acute pain in which the person suffering the injury can give a clear history as to when the pain began. This can occur in any bone including the small bones of the foot.

"My coach told me not to go to the doctor, he would get me an appointment with an orthopedist for my twisted knee."
That is fine as long as the appointment with the specialist is for that same day. If the appointment is not until a week from the time of the injury, you are in pain needlessly and you can get help sooner in the Emergency Department or with your own doctor. You need an evaluation, advice and medications to make you more comfortable.

"What is 'turf toe'?"
This is a painful condition associated with rolling a toe under the foot or jamming the toe in toward the foot. This usually occurs with cutting and running sports such as tennis, football and soccer. Therapy for this is to protect, rest, ice, apply compression and elevate the foot and to take anti inflammatory medications such as Advil.

"Why does my thumb hurt so much when I smash it and one of those blood blisters appears?"
A subungual hematoma is painful because the blood that collects takes up space in the small compartment between the nail bed and the fingernail. Once this pressure is released it feels a lot better. Usually this is done in the doctors office with a small heating element which touches the surface of the nail and quickly melts it making a small hole that the blood can escape from. A severe blow to the fingertip may result in a 'burst' fracture or a more complicated fracture which may need to be managed so it is worth an x ray.

"The doctor told me I have 'plantar fasciitis' and it hurts the bottom of my heel every time I step down."
The tough tendon that supports the arch of your foot and inserts at the bottom of your heel can sometimes get inflamed. Conservative therapy is often the best although healing from this can take weeks. Steps to take to resolve this include; ice your heel at every opportunity for as long as you can will an ice filled moist towel, wear a supportive shoe all the time and never go barefoot even walking to the bathroom or kitchen. Wear comfortable shoes and try to go easy on your feet until you are well. Consider having some custom orthotics made to go inside your shoes. Consider a podiatry appointment for a cortisone injection if you have no luck with these conservative measures.

"What is a Boxer's fracture?"
This is a fracture of the 4th or 5th bones in the hand usually occurring after striking a solid object. The hand is swollen and often deformed. Early evaluation and casting are necessary to assure proper healing. So if you punch something and your hand hurts get it checked out.

"I have tennis elbow (or golfers elbow) what is this and how do I get rid of it?"
Medial or lateral epicondylitis are painful inflammatory conditions of the inner or outer elbow and commonly occur after participating in a task or sport in which there is repetitive motion. This can occur in other activities such as doing curls with weights or while doing pull ups. Ice and rest are the best remedies for this. Again, ice these nagging injuries as much as you can and relieve the activity which causes it to flare up. You can even try a tennis elbow brace which is a Velcro strap bought at a pharmacy that goes just below the elbow to try and relieve the muscles from working so they can rest. Resolution can take 2-3 weeks and recurrence is common.