Athletes Come to RAYUS Radiology for Quickest Road to Recovery

Watch Michael’s Story

From weight training to road cycling to baseball, Michael Fauci of Saugus, MA gets more than his fair share of exercise. And when he’s not working out, he keeps busy doling out advice for his customers at his Max Muscle Sports Nutrition store. Michael admits that years of intense physical activity have taken a toll on his shoulder and his knee. Both injuries lead him to the RAYUS Radiology for MRIs.

Slow Pace of Recovery

RAYUS radiologist Joel Newman sees a lot of patients like Michael with multiple or recurrent stress injuries.

“Hopefully our read will get the patients either the right treatment or get them back on their feet more quickly.”

But orthopedic surgeon Kathryn Grannatt says while quick treatment is key, she also warns that quick recovery can cause problems. She specializes in sports medicine and says athletes need to have patience or they can make injuries worse. “Usually it’s people trying to speed up that process, which is a biological, natural process that you can’t really speed up, it’s those people who tend to go on to have chronic injuries because their bodies just have not had time to recuperate.” She’s constantly coaching her patients to give it time.

 

Getting Back in the Game

When it came to the treatment process, Michael admits that his first MRI was a worry. He thought he’d feel claustrophobic and the noise of the exam would be too much. “I actually went into the tube rather than the overhead and I’m claustrophobic and I had no issues whatsoever,” he explains. “Even the noise I was forewarned about, I had headphones on and it was fine.”

It turns out the exams were the easy part. Following the doctor’s advice on taking time to let his body recover was much more difficult. His idea of easing back into activity was getting back on his bike four days after knee surgery. He went out and rode 25 miles. When asked why athletes like him have trouble taking it slow, he said:

“Because we want to get back in the game. We want to have everything taken care of immediately, actually yesterday.”

It’s a common feeling among athletes who want to get back to doing what they love.