Dealing with MCL knee injuries: How to treat, how to recover

Continued from Page 10 business and fun.

• Yes, your primary goal is to perform at your best, and the performance of you and your team can be improved with well-planned sightseeing and bonding experiences.

• Some of an athlete’s most memorable experiences are off the field during road trips.

• Good plans that keep goals about sleep, nutrition, and recovery in mind can make those memories as positive as possible.

Chris Phillips is an athletic trainer and strength and conditioning specialist with over 20 years’ experience in professional sports. Chris was the athletic trainer for the Czech Figure Skating Team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. He has also worked in the NHL with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and

Washington Capitals and was also the head athletic trainer for the 2002 USA Hockey Men’s National Team. He is the founder of Compete Sports Performance and Rehab in Southern California. Chris can be reached at chris@competeperformance.com.

Dr. Chris Koutures is a dual board-certified pediatric and sports medicine specialist who practices at ActiveKidMD in Anaheim Hills. He is a team physician for USA Volleyball (including participating in the 2008 Beijing Olympics), the U.S. Figure Skating Sports Medicine Network, Cal State Fullerton Intercollegiate Athletics, and the Chapman University Dance Department. He offers a comprehensive blend of general pediatric and sport medicine care with an individualized approach to each patient and family. Please visit activekidmd.com.

Knee MCL injuries in hockey

The medial collateral ligament in the knee, or MCL, was the secondmost common injury in NCAA hockey in 2013 as stated by Grant, Bedi, Kurz, Bancroft & Miller. The study showed that only concussions had a higher injury rate in male collegiate players.

The MCL is one of four ligaments in the knee and is located on the inside or medial portion of the knee connecting the femur and tibia.

The ligament’s purpose is to provide support to the inside of the knee helping prevent a valgus or inward movement of the joint. This ligament can be injured when a player is either hit from the outside of the knee placing an inward force on the knee or can also be damaged when the player pivots or twists the knee and the skate sticks into the ice.

Though MCL injuries can be painful and debilitating, they rarely require surgery to repair them. Since

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