Achy joints? Seeking professional athlete may lead to long-time relief
12:18 p.m. Friday, May 9, 2008
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After years of playing tennis up to 12 hours a week, Nyetta Nichols' body is feeling the strain.
"The elbow is a burning sensation. The knee is a whole another story. That is, once I can straighten it out and bring it back in, that usually makes that pop sound, and it feels fine again. I don't feel any pain," she said.
At 49, Nyetta is like other long-time athletes who complain about aging joints.
Orthopedic surgeon Nicholas Dinubile says muscle pain is normal after a work out, but joint pain is not.
"If you have any swelling, any bruising, any sudden pain, pain that's different on one side that the other, these are all important things to look for," he said.
Dinubile recommends seeing a specialist who can accurately diagnose and treat the pain through medication, physical therapy or even surgery. But, he advises some amateur athletes go one step further.
"Sometimes your second opinion, instead of being an orthopedic surgeon, should be a tennis pro and look at your technique, which is a huge issue," he said.
Nyetta is already doing just that, and she vows to keep on playing in spite of the pain.
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