I’ve decided to start a new page on my blog, The Sports Injury Corner.  Many of my patients are young athletes, and its seems with every visit into my office I am being asked questions about their favorite pro athelete and the injuries they may suffering from. For some it seems pretty cool to know that they are suffering from the same injury as Lebron James, Andrew Luck or Sidney Crosby. So for them and for those interested welcome to the Sports Injury Corner.

Our first athlete up, is Toronto’s very own Terrance Ross. We know he is currently out due to an injury to his thumb. So what exactlly happened?

Last monday during practice he injured his right thumb and later required a cast. Looks like he suffered a right thumb sprain. A sprain is a tear in ligaments. Ligaments are bands of fibrous tissue that connect our bones at the joints. A sprain usually happens when the joint, in this case the thumb joint, is forced beyond its normal range of movement. A bad pass, or an awkward collision can cause such an injury.

There are three degrees of sprains. Each has its  symptoms

First degree symptoms – a first degree sprain is when the ligaments have been stretched but not torn. Symptoms include:

Mild pain
Some swelling
Some joint instability
Mild joint stiffness
An athlete typically recovers in 2-10 days.

Second degree symptoms – a second degree sprain is a partial tearing of the ligament. Symptoms include:

Significant swelling
Bruising
Moderate pain
Some loss of motion
Typical recovery time is 10-30 days.

Third degree symptoms -– a third degree is the most severe of injuries. With this sprain, the ligament has been torn completely. Symptoms include:

Severe swelling
Severe pain
Instability of the joint
Extreme loss of motion

May require surgery to repair the ligaments

Recovery can be anywhere from 30-90 days or more

Based not the fact that Ross is out for at least two weeks, has been spotted wearing a cast and no surgery recommendations have been reported. I am guessing he is suffering from a second degree thumb sprain. The cast is most likely to  prevent any re-injury.

Treatment will often include a variety of modalities to reduce inflammation and reduce pain followed by active rehabilitation to strengthen the ligaments. Common therapies that I use in practice include

• Ice
• heat
• Electrotherapy
• Laser
• Soft Tissue therapies (Active Release Technique, Graston, Gua-sha)
• Joint Mobilizations
• Physical Rehabilitation

Thanks for checking out our first Sports Injury Corner and if you or someone you know might be suffering from a thumb sprain give me a call at 416-777-9355 or email me at info@drnekessaremy.com

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