Arthritis & Sports | Orthopaedics, Physical Therapy & Wellness

Yes, several of our providers are certified sports medicine specialists, including: Dr. Matthew Griffith, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon; Dr. Elaine Ahillen, upper extremity orthopedic surgeon; and Dr. Sabina Malhotra, foot and ankle podiatric surgeon.

Yes, our award-winning orthopedic surgeons bring over 50 years of experience in orthopedic surgery experience, including: Dr. Randall Peyton, total joint orthopedic surgeon; Dr. Matthew Griffith, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon; Dr. Elaine Ahillen, upper extremity orthopedic surgeon; and Dr. Sabina Malhotra, foot and ankle podiatric surgeon.

Yes, our award winning practice offers a comprehensive range of orthopaedic specialties, diagnostic procedures, and rehabilitation services. Our devoted physicians specialize in an extensive range of non-operative and surgical treatment options. Our team finds the best treatment options for your unique problems, allowing each patient return to a pain-free lifestyle.

Arthritis & Sports is proud of its continuous quality and outstanding achievements. Our providers have won over 40 "Top Doctor" awards in the past 5 years alone, including: > ​​Northern Virginia Magazine's Top Doctor Edition > Virginia Living Magazine's Top Doctor Edition > Washingtonian Magazine's Top Doctor Edition > Castle Connolly's Top Doctors

Yes, you can call our staff to schedule your orthopedic Sterling service appointment.

Yes, we offer genuinely effective orthopedic treatment that will deliver results.

Yes, we are the go-to place with the best Sterling orthopedic surgeon doctor.

Yes, we guarantee to work on your condition and ensure you are free from pain at the end of it.

Yes, our orthopedic surgeon boasts decades of experience in orthopedics and related fields.

Yes, you can contact our staff and schedule an appointment for your sports medicine needs.

Our orthopedic specialists utilize a range of advanced nonsurgical and surgical options to care for professional athletes, weekend warriors, active kids, and everyone in between. Using the latest research and innovative treatments, our team creates a customized plan to help you get you back to your sport quickly and safely. Some of our many services include: - Advanced surgical techniques - Bracing - Custom splinting - Dry needling - Hand therapy - MLS Laser Therapy - Physical therapy - Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections - Post-injury sports rehabilitation - Regenerative therapies

Yes! Two of our amazing surgeons, Dr. Matthew Griffith and Dr. David Goodwin, are dedicated to providing state-of-the-art care to patients with sports injuries and disorders of the shoulder.

For acute sports injuries, like a dislocation, broken bone, or badly torn ligament, you should go directly to the Emergency Room. In general, when an injury still hurts after resting it, or it feels better until you exercise again, you should make an appointment with either your primary care provider or a sports medicine physician. Specific symptoms warranting a trip to the orthopedist include: - Pain in muscles, tendons, or joints that lasts for more than a few days - Difficulty using a particular body part to perform normal functions, such as walking up a flight of stairs or lifting or carrying relatively light items - Joint pain that worsens during periods of rest - Swelling or bruising around a specific joint or injury location - Signs of infection, which include heat, inflammation, fever, or redness - Joint deformity

No two patients are alike. However, regardless of your injury or problem, our expert fellowship-trained physicians can create a customized plan to eliminate your pain. Knee pain can be caused by a range of problems, including degenerative diseases, trauma, and arthritis. The most common causes of knee pain are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and traumatic arthritis. These each require a special approach, and can often be alleviated with advanced nonoperative treatments. Our expert fellowship-trained physicians, Drs. Randall Peyton, Matthew Griffith, and David Goodwin provide exceptional care for all types of knee problems, including those caused by sports injuries and arthritis.

The answer to that is yes! Our in-house foot and ankle surgeon, Dr. Sabina Malhotra, specializes in making custom orthotics for her patients. The initial visit involves a full consultation and discussion, followed by digital scanning of your feet. The orthotics will be fabricated in our lab and ready for pickup in about two weeks, at which time Dr. Malhotra sees you back in the office to ensure proper fit and design. Your orthotics will typically be designed to fit in your most important footwear, the footwear you wear most often, or the footwear for a specific activity. Dr. Malhotra will make recommendations tailored to your individual lifestyle and concerns. Be it for a dress shoe or soccer cleat, there are countless designs and materials used to make orthotics as comfortable and versatile as possible.

An MRI uses strong magnets to scan your body and create an image. MRIs may be utilized to visualize bones, joints and soft tissues such as cartilage, muscles and tendons for injuries or structural abnormalities. There is no risk of exposure to ionizing radiation during an MRI as secondary to use of strong magnets. Due to the use of magnets however, patients with implanted devices such as pacemakers or other metallic devices may not be able to undergo an MRI

A DEXA scan (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) is a test that measures the amount of bone in your hip, spine or sometimes the forearm. The results will tell if you have normal bone density, osteopenia or osteoporosis. A DEXA total body composition is a whole body scan that will analyze your total mass, fat mass, lean mass and total percent body fat.

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are mid-level medical providers who are nationally certified and state licensed to practice medicine. They can practice autonomously (without physician supervision) depending on the state in which they practice. NPs can be found in many medical specialties including Orthopedics. Like PA’s, services provided by NPs include ordering, performing and interpreting diagnostic tests; diagnosing and treating acute and chronic conditions, prescribing medications and other treatments; counseling and educating patients on disease prevention.

Physician Assistants (PAs) are mid-level medical providers who are nationally certified and state licensed to practice medicine. In Orthopedics, PAs are highly utilized both in the clinical setting and in the operating room. In the clinical setting, PAs are capable of diagnosing and treating a wide variety of orthopedic conditions under the supervision of the physicians. Services provided by PAs include ordering, performing and interpreting diagnostic tests; diagnosing and treating acute and chronic conditions, prescribing medications and other treatments; counseling and educating patients on disease prevention. At Arthritis & Sports, PAs see anything from New Patient encounters to follow-ups to both pre and post-operative visits. In the OR, they serve as first assistants to the orthopedic surgeon providing valuable assistance during the peri-operative period. Studies have identified high-quality care with physician-PA teams and have shown that the quality of care provided by PAs is comparable to that of physicians, that PAs enhance care coordination, and that PAs are proven to elevate health outcomes and increase patient satisfaction

Podiatry is a medical specialty focusing on conditions related to the foot, ankle and related structures of the leg. One who practices in Podiatry is known as a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM). Podiatric physicians or podiatric surgeons can specialize in many different areas including surgery, sports medicine, wound care, pediatrics, and diabetic care.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, or Physiatry, is a branch of medicine that focuses on restoring body functions lost from injury, illness, or disabling conditions. This specialty deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders involving the Musculoskeletal, Central, and Peripheral Nervous systems. Due to the holistic approach employed by Physiatrists, they are able to diagnose and treat a wide variety of ailments manifesting as musculoskeletal and or neurological complaints.

A sports medicine orthopedist is a fellowship-trained physician that specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries related to sports or other physical activities. These injuries can be from acute trauma or from chronic overuse.

An orthopedic doctor, also known as an orthopedist, is a medical doctor (MD) or a doctor of osteopathy (DO) who specializes in the musculoskeletal system – bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. While orthopaedic surgeons are familiar with all aspects of the musculoskeletal system, many orthopedists specialize in certain areas, such as the foot and ankle, shoulder, spine, hip or knee. They may also choose to focus on specific fields like pediatrics, trauma or sports medicine. Some orthopaedic surgeons may specialize in several areas, such as our doctors.

A sprain is a stretch and/or a tear of a ligament. Sprains are typically graded based on their severity. For example, a grade 1 sprain refers to slight stretching of the ligament while grade 2 and grade 3 sprains refer to partial tearing or complete tear of a ligament respectively. A strain, on the other hand, is an injury to a muscle or tendon. Common treatment for sprains and strains involve rest, icing, compression and elevation (RICE).

A bursae is a small, fluid-filled sac that is located between bones and soft tissues. Bursae are located throughout the body including the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and heel. . Their purpose is to decreased friction and act as cushioning between these structures. Bursitis is the inflammation or irritation of the bursae, caused by either small and repetitive stresses (overuse) or trauma. Common activities that often trigger bursitis include running, stair climbing, cycling, or prolonged walking and standing

Over-the-counter (OTC) orthotics are made to cater to a wider range of people. Some patients may get relief using such OTC devices; however, they are often inadequate in that they do not provide sufficient support, shock absorption, or a proper fit. Custom orthotics are produced specifically for your feet, and can better address the needs of each patient.

Casts and splints support and protect injured bones and soft tissue. When a bone is broken, a splint or cast helps hold bones in place and maintain their proper alignment in order to allow proper healing. In some cases, splints and casts are applied following surgery in order to protect the area and allow it to properly heal.

Electrodiagnostic testing measures the speed and conduction of nerves and muscles in your body. Nerves and muscles create electrical signals that deliver messages to and from your brain. Injuries or diseases that affect the nerves and muscles can slow or completely halt the movement of these signals. If you have pain, weakness or numbness in your back, neck or hands, performing these tests can help your doctor make a proper diagnosis. Examples of such tests include Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS) and Electromyography. For more information on electrodiagnostic testing, click here.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are medications used most commonly to treat pain and conditions related to inflammation (swelling). They are the most common kind of medication used to treat arthritis, but can also be used in conditions such as bursitis and tendonitis. Examples include Aspirin, Ibuprofen (Advil), Naproxsyn (Aleve) and Nabumetone (Relafen). NSAIDs can be found over-the-counter (OTC) or can be given as a prescriptions.

Cortisone is a strong anti-inflammatory medicine (a steroid) that helps reduce or eliminate pain caused by inflammation. Compared the oral administration, cortisone injections can be much more effective and work more quickly when treating tendonitis and joint inflammation. While cortisone may not cure the condition, it may provide temporary relief.

A CT scan is a diagnostic imaging study that uses a combination of X-rays and computer technology to develop a 3-D picture of different parts of the body including bones, soft tissues and joints. CT scans assess for damage to bones, soft tissues and joints as well as fractures, lesions and other abnormalities. CT scans do expose patients to radiation thus it is important to discuss the risks and benefits of this diagnostic study with your provider.

Tendonitis is the inflammation of a tendon that results in very small micro-tears of the tendon as a result of the tendon being overloaded secondary to an acute injury. Tendinosis refers to the degeneration of a tendon’s collagen (the main structural component of tendons) over time due to chronic overuse. Treatment for tendonitis is aimed at reducing inflammation with anti-inflammatory medications (Advil, Motrin, etc.). For tendinosis, the goal is to avoid the aggravating activities to allow the tendon to heal, maintain proper ergonomics and biomechanics, and allow the tendon to regain is tensile strength through stretching and physical therapy.

A tendon is a band of tissue that connects a muscle to a bone. A ligament is an elastic tissue that connects one bone to another.

Articular cartilage is flexible connective tissue located at the end of bones that protects joints and facilitates motion.

Arthritis is inflammation of a joint that leads to the destruction of healthy joint cartilage. There are various forms of arthritis such as Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis and Psoriatic arthritis, just to name a few. Osteoarthritis, for example, occurs when the smooth covering of the end of bones (known as articular cartilage) gets damaged or worn through wear and tear or trauma. Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease that results in the inflammation and eventual destruction of the joint surfaces, including the cartilage. Symptoms of arthritis often include joint pain, swelling, stiffness and immobility. Treatments for arthritis vary depending on their underlying cause, severity of the disease and impact on an individual’s activities of daily living.

Orthopaedics is the medical specialty that focuses on injuries and diseases of your body's musculoskeletal system. This complex system includes your bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves and allows you to move, work, and be active.

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