Anybody's Sports Medicine Book: The Complete Guide to Quick Recovery from Injuries

Wondering what to do with a sprained ankle? Written by one of the world's leading sports medicine doctors and a well-known science writer, this guide explains why crushed ice is better than cubed, and why you should never soak a swollen ankle in warm water. With each chapter dedicated to a different part of the body, this practical guide gives prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation tips for the most common sports-related injuries, from tendinitis to tennis elbow.

You're on the field, tennis court, or skating rink, and you sprain your ankle. What you do about it from the first few minutes on can determine how much pain you'll endure and how soon you'll get back to your sport. Anybody's Sports Medicine Book: The Complete Guide to Quick Recovery from Injuries tells you what you should do immediately, when to see a doctor, and how to rehabilitate your injury. Organized by injured body part, it's aimed at the fitness exerciser as well as the hard-core recreational athlete.

James Garrick, M.D., is a super sports doc with the ability to explain in a simple, commonsense way everything you need to know about what's wrong with you and what to do about it, along with rehab exercise illustrations, commonly asked questions, and when to seek medical help. Garrick offers many extras, such as tips for older athletes, how to choose a sports medicine doc, and special considerations for ballet dancers. All of this is in a lively, chatty style, as if you were sitting in Dr. Garrick's office.

Garrick heads San Francisco's Center for Sports Medicine and is medical advisor to the National Football League, the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team, and the San Francisco Ballet. Peter Radetsky is a science writer with a clear, sprightly style. This book is greatly needed, especially in these days of managed care when it's difficult for fitness athletes even to get a referral to a sports-medicine specialist or to get rehabilitative care. Read this highly recommended book before you get hurt, and carry it in your gym bag. --Joan Price