Survey: Nearly 1 in 5 Americans keep exercising through injuries

Although many fear surgery, addressing the issue as soon as possible makes non-surgical options more viable

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(ORLANDO, Florida) – Millions of people are dealing with a lingering injury or nagging pain, maybe from a bad knee or a sore elbow. In fact, a new national survey for Orlando Health finds nearly one in five Americans often experience pain when working out and the same number of people work through the pain rather than resting to heal.

“There’s the saying, ‘No pain, no gain.’ But there’s different types of pain that you feel during workouts, and sharp, stabbing pain that’s very uncomfortable is not typically normal,” said George Eldayrie, MD, a sports medicine physician at Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. “Somebody who has pain that they’ve been dealing with for a long time is often afraid to hear the words, ‘You need surgery,’ but there are a lot more options out there that can effectively treat your pain and get you back to your active lifestyle pain-free.”

Those non-surgical options may include physical therapy to strengthen or stretch specific supporting muscles. It may also involve injections that reduce inflammation and promote healing such as corticosteroids and platelet-rich plasma, which are delivered precisely to the right area using ultrasound technology.

“Typically, the earlier we can intervene, the better the platelet-rich plasma will work,” Dr. Eldayrie said. “And it can provide a lot of improvement for things like chronic tendinopathies, such as tennis elbow.”

The longer pain is ignored, the more likely it is to progress to permanent damage that requires surgery to repair, which makes early treatment critical. But if surgery is necessary, Dr. Eldayrie says it likely isn’t as scary or painful as you might think. Advancements in robotic and laparoscopic procedures have made surgery less invasive and recovery easier and faster than ever.

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Dr. George Eldayrie uses ultrasound to examine Jen Jordon’s knee at Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. While many put off addressing an injury for fear of being sidelined or learning they’ll need surgery, there are plenty of non-surgical treatment options that work better the sooner they’re started.

Jen Jordon teaches a fitness class at the YMCA. Jordon finally addressed a lingering knee injury after years of progressing pain, something that’s very common according to a new national survey by Orlando Health that found nearly one in five Americans works out through pain rather than resting to heal.

A physical therapist works with a patient at an Orlando Health rehabilitation facility. It’s one of many effective treatments for pain and injuries that don’t require surgery. However, if not addressed by a medical professional, injuries can get worse and are more likely to require more invasive treatments to repair.

George Eldayrie, MD, examines Jen Jordon at Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. Jordon has had progressing knee pain over the past few years, and was relieved to hear that she did not need surgery and could help heal her injury by strengthening and stretching specific supporting muscles.

Exercise is a big part of Jen Jordon’s life, so when her knee pain progressed, she worried she’d be sidelined during treatment. She was pleased to learn that she would not need surgery, and could continue being active by just adding some specific warm-up exercises to her routine.



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