What is a Sports Medicine Physician?

A sports medicine physician has received special training in the care of orthopedic and medical problems of athletes. Patients need not be gifted or competitive athletes to qualify to see a sports medicine physician. The 35 year-old tennis Mom, 50- year-old trying to do his first 5K and the 70-year-old golfer are all athletes than can benefit from a sports medicine doctor. Dr. Holmes has been a board-certified sports medicine physician since 2003.

What are platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections?

These are orthobiologic injections utilizing a patient’s own blood. Our platelets are very rich in our own natural growth factors. We draw blood from an arm vein and then place the blood in a centrifuge. This separates the red and white blood cells from the plasma which contains the platelets. Then, under ultrasound guidance, the PRP is injected back into your damaged tissue in order to promote healing. We continue to see symptomatic benefit and improvement in function when using PRP for tennis & golfers' elbow, hip, shoulder and knee arthritis, meniscal tears, plantar fasciitis and hamstring, Achilles, rotator cuff & patellar tendonitis, just to name a few. We’ve been performing these injections with regularity since 2012 and are continually adapting our techniques to provide the highest-quality PRP products. They have an excellent safety profile.

What is the Tenex Health TX procedure?

This is a minimally-invasive ultrasound-guided procedure performed to treat chronic tendon problems. A small handpiece is inserted under the skin after a tiny incision is made. That handpiece is then delivered to the area of soft tissue damage, and ultrasonic energy is used to aspirate (remove) the damaged portion. The actual procedure typically takes less than 5 minutes and only local anesthesia (lidocaine) is required. No stitches are required, only a steri-strip. Recovery is much more rapid than a typical open (long incision) procedure for these types of problems. At this time, the Tenex procedure is being used primarily for tennis & golfer's elbow, plantar fasciitis and chronic Achilles and patellar tendon problems. Success rates exceed 90%. 

What is musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound?

MSK ultrasound uses the same technology used for years to look at the fetus of a pregnant women or a gallbladder to now look at tendons, ligaments, cysts and fluid collections in patients with orthopedic problems. It is painless, much less expensive than an MRI, does not expose the patient to any radiation and allows for immediate comparisons to the unaffected side. It has become a tremendously successful tool in injection guidance. Injections are performed in a much more accurate fashion, allowing for a greater benefit combined with a decreased risk.

I’m worried that if I come to an orthopedic doctor, then I will have to undergo surgery.

90% of problems seen in an orthopedic office do not require surgery. Dr. Holmes’ primary focus is on treating your problem in a non-surgical and minimally-invasive manner. He has no vested interest in performing unnecessary surgery on any patient. That being said, if he truly recommends surgery for your condition, then he can put you in the hands of a surgical colleague best equipped from a technical and bedside manner standpoint to treat you.