Am I Damaging My Tendons? (with Jill Cook, PhD)

Achilles. Rotator cuff. Patella. Hamstring. They're all structures involving tendons, and you probably either know someone who's injured them, or have experienced the dreaded tendon injury yourself.

Aaron Rodgers experienced an acute Achilles tendon rupture on Monday Night Football in September 2023, just 4 plays into his first season as QB for the New York Jets. Fans watched as he dramatically pulled up lame after a tackle, having snapped his Achilles, and subsequently sitting out the 2023 season. Just this week he stated in an interview "my summer ends Sunday", confirming that he is back to play this upcoming 2024 football season for the Jets.

So what the heck is actually going on? Why do tendons hurt sometimes? Why do they snap? Is it all just degenerative, "getting old"-type stuff? How can we prevent an injury like Rodgers' from happening to US??

In this episode, we reveal it all, friends! We have a world’s expert in tendon pathology, treatment and injury prevention to tell us why our tendons get injured, what we can do to treat them and most importantly, the things we can do prevent them from breaking down.

Jill Cook, PhD is a professor in musculoskeletal health in the La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre at La Trobe University in Melbourne Australia. Jill's research areas include sports medicine and tendon injury. She is the "tendon guru" and has dedicated her career to learning about and improving our care of tendons.

Jeremy recently had the privilege of attending Jill's educational lecture at the NBA Team Physician's national meeting, and she so graciously agreed to be our guest for this episode! Your Doctor Friends bring the professional-level expert education straight to you, friends!

Topics covered in today's episode include:

What actually ARE tendons? What do they do?

Types of tendon injuries- including acute tears, "overuse" injuries, and degenerative "wear and tear".

Risk factors associated with tendon injuries.

What is "tendinopathy"? Is it there forever?

What is the role of imaging/MRI in the diagnosis and treatment of tendon injury?

What about shots? Do cortisone or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections help in tendon injuries?

How do you actually treat tendinopathy? Can it be "cured"?

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