sports medicine
Stay Off the
Disabled List
Follow the same habits and procedures the pros use to heal after injuries
WRITTEN BY CINDY SCHWEICH HANDLER
Exercise helps. It improves our memories, mood, sleep habits, heart health
and even social lives. But as with most pursuits, too much of a good thing
— especially when the movement is repetitive — can lead to problems.
Fortunately, developments in the field of sports medicine are helping not
only pro athletes, but amateurs of all ages, to recover from complications of
stress injuries and other byproducts of regular athletic activity. We asked
three members of the local health care community to bring us up to speed.
A
native of New Jersey, Dr. Rajaram
returned to practice in the state two
years ago, after completing his ortho-
pedic surgery residency at Yale University, and
a Sports Medicine Fellowship at the Baylor
College of Medicine in Houston. His training
at the Texas Medical Center gave him the
opportunity to serve as assistant team physi-
cian for professional teams including the
Houston Rockets and the Houston Astros.
His expertise earned him a spot as a sports
medicine consultant for CBS sports radio
WFAN, which posts his commentary online.
Though Rajaram now treats athletes who
aren’t professionals, the injuries his patients
present to him are the same. “I’ve noticed
over the last decade that people are exercising
intensely and regularly, and they’re getting the
same repetitive use injuries as the pros,” he
says. “This happens with kids, too, who play
the same sports year round. I see a lot of high
school students now, especially for tennis
elbow, and meniscus and cartilage injuries.”
He names two procedures that are getting
good results within the general population,
and helping them to heal faster.
PRP (PLATELET RICH PLASMA) INJECTIONS
“PRP has been available to athletes for
decades,” Rajaram says. “Now we use it for
everyone.” In this out-patient procedure, blood is
drawn and put into a centrifuge, where it is spun;
the platelet-rich plasma that rises to the top is
then injected back into the area that is experienc-
ing the problem — for example, at the location of
injured ligaments and muscles. The platelets help
reduce inflammation. “Depending on the severity
of the problem, it can ta ke three-to-12 weeks for
a full recovery,” he says.
DR. ARUN
RAJARAM
ORTHOPEDIC
SURGEON
SPECIALIZING IN
SPORTS MEDICINE
AND ARTHROSCOPIC
SURGERY
PARTNER AT ELITE
ORTHOPEDICS &
SPORTS MEDICINE
IN WAYNE
MINIMALLY INVASIVE
ARTHROSCOPIC SURGERY
Another out-patient procedure, this practice
allows surgeons to make a small incision, insert a
tiny camera and use it to project images on a high-
definition monitor. “We can repair meniscus and
large rotator cuff tears using this medical technol-
ogy,” Rajaram says. “We can see every corner of
the inside of a joint that we couldn’t see before.
The surgery can be done more quickly because
it doesn’t require a big incision, and recovery is
faster.” A PRP injection at the site where the
camera is introduced can also help the injury heal.
>
WAYNE MAGAZINE HOLIDAY 2017
43