Hip pain is common in active runners. Pain on the outside of the hip is usually blamed on trochanteric bursitis or gluteus medius tendinopathy — but a tensor fasciae latae (TFL) injury is also reasonably common, and easily missed. This condition is called TFL pain, or proximal ITB syndrome. So what is tensor fasciae [...]
Hip pain in sporty teens is challenging, with many possible causes. The commonest is hip apophysitis — swelling of a growth plate (a traction apophysis) where the tendons attach to the pelvic bones. So who gets hip apophysitis, and how do we manage teenage hip pain? Hip apophysitis is one of several pediatric sports [...]
Pain at the front of the knee has many causes — patellofemoral pain, patellar tendonitis, fat pad impingement, or plica syndrome. One less common cause is swelling around an accessory bone of the kneecap — a bipartite patella. So what is a bipartite patella, how does it cause pain, and what should we do [...]
A fibula stress fracture is common in runners and presents with pain and swelling just above the ankle. How can you tell you have one, and what do you do about it? This guide covers the typical presentation, diagnosis, and full recovery timeline. A fibula stress fracture is one of several causes of shin [...]
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 [...]
An MCL injury usually occurs when a force strikes the outside of the knee. The MCL resists that force, and stretches or tears as a result. So what are the typical signs of a medial collateral ligament injury, and how do we treat it? What is the medial collateral ligament? The MCL, or medial [...]
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 — [...]
Parsonage-Turner syndrome — also called brachial neuritis, brachial neuralgia or neuralgic amyotrophy — is a neurological disorder that causes severe pain followed by lasting damage to the nerves and muscles. It usually affects the nerves of the brachial plexus in the shoulder, though any nerve can be involved. We think the immune system triggers [...]
Diastasis recti is the abnormal separation of the rectus ("six-pack") muscles of the abdominal wall. It's best known in women after childbirth, but men and athletes get it too — and it's often missed in them. In men, it typically follows heavy lifting, straining, or weight gain rather than pregnancy. So what is diastasis [...]
Pain is one of the commonest reasons people see a doctor, and over 10 million people in the UK live with chronic pain. Chronic pain often begins as acute pain that doesn't switch off. So what does living with chronic pain really mean, and what strategies genuinely help? Acute pain vs chronic pain [...]
