10 Medical Missteps

In the more than 20 years I've practiced orthopedic surgery, I have come to recognize some common problems that plague patients, many of which are generally preventable. Here are 10 pitfalls to avoid.

Exercising an Injury

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When you rip, tear, sprain or break something, it needs to be immobilized, not stretched, kneaded, heated or worked. A large number of patients (and some trainers) mistakenly take dysfunction as a sign of needing more exercise. So they recommend overusing athletic injuries, like muscle tears and stress fractures, which prolongs pain and delays healing for months and months. A good rule of thumb: no stretching or hard work until tenderness (pain when you push on the muscle or joint) is gone.

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