The latissimus dorsi — the "lat" — is the large back muscle that powers pulling movements. Lat injuries are uncommon, but they're increasingly seen with CrossFit, weight training, throwing, water skiing and gymnastics. The most important thing about a lat injury is where it occurs along the muscle because that determines how it's treated. [...]
Feeling a lump inside the sole of your foot can be worrying, especially if it hurts when you walk. The most common cause of a lump in the sole or arch is a plantar fibroma — a benign thickening of the plantar fascia. But other conditions can cause nodules or swelling here, too, so [...]
If your MRI report mentions red marrow reconversion, it's natural to feel worried — the term sounds serious. But here's the reassuring headline: in most people, especially athletes, red marrow reconversion is a normal, harmless change, not a sign of disease. It simply describes a shift in the appearance of bone marrow, and it's [...]
We often see people with persistent musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, or recurrent injuries. Usually, these come from overuse or minor trauma. But occasionally symptoms don't follow the expected pattern, or fail to settle with standard treatment — and then it's important to consider less common causes. One is multiple myeloma. Though rare, it can present [...]
Joint pain and swelling are common in active people, usually due to cartilage damage or osteoarthritis. Occasionally, though, they come from a growth in the synovial lining of the joint, especially the knee joint. One such condition is synovial chondromatosis. So what is it, and how do we diagnose and treat it? What is [...]
Osteoid osteoma is a bone tumour that typically affects adolescent athletes. It causes small bone growths that produce intense pain, especially at night. Although benign, it can significantly affect athletic performance and quality of life — and it's easily mistaken for other conditions. So, how do we diagnose osteoid osteoma, and what treatments are [...]
Recurrent joint pain and swelling usually result from common conditions such as osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis, such as gout. One rare cause of recurrent joint swelling is pigmented villonodular synovitis, or PVNS. So what is PVNS, and how do we diagnose and treat it? What is PVNS? PVNS occurs when the tissue lining the [...]
