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Terry Streetmen (Host): Welcome back to Well Within Reach, presented by Riverside Healthcare. I'm Terry Streetmen, Marketing and Communications representative, and we're here today with Carly Kaminke, Orthopedic Physician Assistant to discuss protecting your bones and joints while partaking in summer activities. Thanks for joining us, Carly.

Carly Kaminke, PA-C: Yeah, thanks for having me, Terry.

Host: Before we get started, we'll take a quick break for a message about MyChart.

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Host: Okay, we're back. Welcome. This is your first time on the podcast, I think. So can you tell us a little bit about your background and your role here?

Carly Kaminke, PA-C: Yeah. I am a Physician Assistant in orthopedics. I work with a hand and upper extremity surgeon. I've been doing this for about six and a half years. Her name's Dr. Crawford. I see patients both in the clinic and assist in surgery. And, that's it.

Host: Okay. So what drew you to orthopedics as a specialty?

Carly Kaminke, PA-C: I was drawn to ortho because I've always loved the idea of helping people stay active and get back to doing what they love. Whether it's an athlete getting back to their game or on the court or on a field or it's a grandparent picking up your grandkids. It can be very rewarding to be part of that recovery.

Host: All right. Well, you talked about people getting and staying active. So we're, you know, heading into summer months here, weather gets better. People want to be outside. Do you see a lot of orthopedic injuries with the better weather and outdoor activities?

Carly Kaminke, PA-C: Yeah, definitely. Summer tends to be pretty busy for orthopedic injuries. People are in general, more active outdoors, whether that's running, biking, swimming, or playing sports.

Host: Okay. So what, I mean, you, you mentioned some of those. Are there any other common causes of bone and joint injuries that you see during the summer?

Carly Kaminke, PA-C: Because of the increase of activity, because it's nice out, there comes with that a lot of high risk things like sprains, strains, fractures, dislocations, and overuse injuries. Some common examples of overuse injuries would be, you know, rotator cuff strains, tennis elbow, wrist tendonitis, and shoulder impingement.

Host: Okay. I imagine some of those might come from things like pickleball, which is gaining a lot of popularity. When people are doing things like that, playing pickleball or other sports, what are some things that people can do to avoid these arm and shoulder injuries?

Carly Kaminke, PA-C: Yeah, pickleball is great and it has definitely become very popular for people of all ages in the community. I think they're building a pickleball court just down the road from here. So, but like any racket sport, it can lead to arm and shoulder injuries if you aren't careful. My best advice, warm up. Not just the legs, but the arms, shoulders, wrists, and elbows. Focus on good technique. A lot of people try to muscle the ball or racket it with their arm instead of using proper body rotation and footwork, which puts extra strain on the upper extremity. And lastly, just don't overdo it and be the hero. If you're new to the sport, build up gradually. Gradually get into the game.

Host: Okay. As a lifelong gym class hero, I appreciate that advice. So other activities people get up to in the summer, you know, there's a lot of house projects, remodeling, rearranging, or yard garden projects. How can people protect themselves when doing, like if you're lifting furniture or like bags of mulch?

Carly Kaminke, PA-C: Yeah, when lifting heavy bags of mulch or furniture, the key is to again, you know, use your legs, not your back and shoulders. Keep items close to your body, bend at the knees, avoid twisting while you lift. That can kind of increase risk of injury to both shoulders, back and a knee. And lastly, if it looks too heavy, it probably is. So call a friend, use a dolly, or maybe even bribe a teenager with pizza.

Host: Okay, so it sounds like that comes back in some ways also to don't be a hero. You can ask for help. All right. Before our next question, we're going to take a moment to talk about the importance of primary care.

Consistency is being able to count on someone to be there when you need them. At Riverside Healthcare, your primary care provider is dedicated to being in your corner, helping you and your family stay healthy and thrive.

Find the right primary care provider for you at my rhc.net/acceptingnew. From annual screenings to well checks and everything in between, having a primary care provider that you can trust makes all the difference. Okay, so we're back. We're going to stay on the subject of like lawn and garden work. Working with these lawn and garden pieces of equipment can be dangerous.

We're talking, you know, lawnmowers, chainsaws, hedge trimmers. What advice do you have for people who want to use those, but be safe?

Carly Kaminke, PA-C: Yeah, I definitely see a lot of this in my field. Working with lawn and garden equipment is great until they bite back, so, best advice that I have is, you know, slow down, don't cut the corners. Take your time. It's never a race to get the lawn work done, no matter how much time you don't have. Read the manual even if you think you're too cool for it, like my father. Wear safety glasses, safety gloves, sturdy shoes to protect all your extremities, make sure the equipment's in good shape. Sometimes I know we're trying to use dad's old mower and sometimes that just doesn't cut it. And lastly, never ever try to clear a jam while it's running or still plugged in.

I can't tell you how many times we've seen parts of fingers because people try to do that. So, you know, in a roundabout way and treat things like they're trying to hurt you because if you aren't careful, they just might.

Host: Okay. Yeah, you're not going to save any time by having to go have a piece of a finger reattached. Yikes. Okay. So with these activities, people are probably being more active than usual. How can people determine whether they're dealing with like ordinary soreness and that kind of thing? And at what point does that or any kind of injury, necessitate something more serious?

Carly Kaminke, PA-C: Yeah, great question. Because, you know, not all soreness is created equal. Regular muscle soreness, like, you kind of think about when you just did a harder workout, started a new workout, usually happens after the first one or two days, kind of feels like a bruise, feels achy or tight. And it typically gets better with rest, stretchings, over the counter Tylenol or ibuprofen, ice or heat. But if you're talking about something that's, you know, sharp, stabbing, it's associated with swelling or numbness or your body's just telling you something feels off, that's definitely a cue to go get checked out.

Stick by this motto. If it's dull and achy soreness that eases with rest, you can wait it out. If it's sharp, swollen, and makes you wince each time you move, it's probably time to go see a pro.

Host: Okay. So in that case, if it's something that rises to that level and someone has an arm or shoulder injury from this kind of activity, how can Riverside Orthopedic Specialists help?

Carly Kaminke, PA-C: Yeah, if you hurt your arm or shoulder, Riverside Ortho, might be your answer. Whether it's a strain or a tear or something more serious; we will be able to figure out the right imaging that you may need, whether it's in office or at the hospital. We can create that treatment plan with whether it be medications, therapy, maybe an injection to help you get back to those activities and your sports safely.

Our goal is always to get you back moving, get you back to what you love without making things worse.

Host: Well we're getting toward the end here. What would you say is the biggest thing you want listeners to take away from this?

Carly Kaminke, PA-C: The biggest takeaway I'd say is, stay active. Obviously in the summer have fun, but be smart about it. Warm up. Use good form if you're dying to try that pickleball for the first time. But most importantly, listen to your body. Don't wait too long to get things checked out. Sometimes, you know, a fracture or tear can become much harder to repair at a later, time if we saw you a little bit sooner.

And lastly, like a little prevention, goes a long way. So, to wrap it up, stretch, lift with your legs and don't be a weekend hero with a chainsaw.

Host: Okay. Well that's all the questions I have. Do you have anything else you'd like to add before we wrap up?

Carly Kaminke, PA-C: Just a reminder really.

It's much easier to prevent an injury from happening than to spend the time recovering from one. So your body doesn't come with spare parts, so take care of the ones you have.

Host: Alright, well thanks again for joining us today. To learn more about Riverside Orthopedic Specialists, you can call 815-802-7090 or visit my rhc.net/orthopedics to learn all about the orthopedic services provided, including the orthopedic walk-in clinic.

Thanks for tuning into Well Within Reach presented by Riverside Healthcare. Please take a moment to rate and leave a review for Well Within Reach on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about Riverside, visit riversidehealthcare.org.