Rhabdomyolysis is a serious but often under-recognised condition that can affect athletes after extreme exercise, heat stress, or muscle injury. Understanding its symptoms, risks, and management is crucial for athletes, coaches, and healthcare professionals. So how do we recognise rhabdomyolysis and manage it? Rhabdomyolysis is one of several medical causes of muscle pain we [...]
Statins are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world, used to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. They're highly effective — but a common complaint is statins and sore muscles. So why do statins and sore muscles go together? What is statin-induced myopathy, and what should you [...]
Unexplained muscle pain, cramping, and tiredness in active people can stem from many conditions that affect energy production — anaemia, diabetes, or hormone abnormalities, among them. One rare muscle condition that affects physical performance is McArdle's disease. So what is McArdle's disease, how do we diagnose it, and how is it managed? McArdle's disease [...]
A dead leg — also called a quadriceps contusion or corked thigh — is a common injury in contact sports such as rugby, football, and basketball. We also see it after a fall onto the thigh or a collision with a hard object. Being "dead legged" by an opponent's knee is one of the [...]
A soleus muscle strain is a common but frequently unrecognised cause of calf pain in active people. Even though the soleus covers a large area of the lower leg, soleus tears are often misdiagnosed as calf tightness or gastrocnemius tears. So how can you tell if you've torn your soleus, and what can you [...]
Buttock pain is complex, with many causes — sciatica, sacroiliac joint arthritis, piriformis syndrome, and hamstring tendonitis among them. A less common cause is ischiofemoral impingement, where abnormal contact between the thigh bone (femur) and the pelvic bone pinches the muscle between them, causing buttock pain. So what is ischiofemoral impingement, what are its [...]
Wrist pain and popping, or clicking, are common complaints. Wrist injuries with popping usually result from overuse during activity or sport, or from trauma after a fall. The wrist's anatomy is complex — many bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments — so many structures can be damaged. What causes wrist pain and popping, and how [...]
Chest pain is often assumed to be a heart problem. Although a heart attack should always be excluded, a common cause of chest pain is chest wall and rib pain, such as costochondritis. So what causes chest and rib pain, and how do we treat it? Important: if you have sudden, severe, or crushing [...]
Morel-Lavallee Lesion: How Do We Manage It? A Morel-Lavallee lesion is a common fluid swelling that develops after trauma, with the outer hip and thigh being the usual sites. So, how do we manage a Morel-Lavallee lesion, and do you need it drained? Dr Masci diagnoses and treats these lesions at his London clinics [...]
Myositis ossificans is an uncommon complication after a muscle tear or acute trauma, where bone forms within the muscle, causing pain and swelling. So what is myositis ossificans, how does it happen, and how do we treat it? What is myositis ossificans? In myositis ossificans, bone forms in a muscle after acute trauma — [...]
