With the help of the KP Sports Medicine Department in Redwood City, a college tennis player recovers from an injury and returns to the sport she loves.
Carolyn Campana, a senior at Wake Forest University, first held a tennis racket at the age of 4. “I love tennis because of the competitive spirit. It’s fun to go out there and compete every weekend,” said Campana. Her passion has led her to be one of the top ranked collegiate tennis players in the U.S.
In late October 2021, Campana sustained an inner ankle injury after a colliding with a fellow student. After being advised to take a week off, she continued to experience pain during winter break, and well into the new year.
“I worked really hard over the summer and this injury was a major setback,” said Campana.
After receiving opinions from several doctors in the field, she ultimately entrusted her care to the Kaiser Permanente’s Sports Medicine Department in Redwood City.
Sports medicine and treating patients, especially athletes like Campana, is Dr. James Kang’s passion. Dr. Kang, a sports medicine and family physician, has been with Kaiser Permanente for 5 years, treating athletes of all levels and ages. He also happens to be Carolyn’s primary care doctor.
After suggesting that Campana get an MRI and CT Scan, Dr. Kang found her to have severe inflammation in the tendons of her ankle and advised her to get an ultrasound guided cortisone injection. Using an ultrasound allows Dr. Kang to make diagnoses and perform specialized injections that are accurately targeted.
“I was happy to go with what Dr. Kang said, because I haven’t had pain since,” Campana said. In total, Campana was out for 6 weeks with her injury. “Sitting at home and watching everyone play was not a good feeling,” she said. “To finally be back out there meant the world to me.”
Redwood City Sports Medicine Team
The KP Redwood City sports medicine team consists of 3 surgeons and 2 non-operative sports medicine providers.
One of those orthopedic surgeons is Aaron Schwartz, MD. Like Dr. Kang, Dr. Schwartz is drawn to sports medicine by highly motivated patients who want to get back to doing what they love.
“For the most part, you know that people have a problem. You fix it with surgery and then in six months to a year later, they are back doing whatever they want to do. So, it’s very satisfying,” said Dr. Schwartz.
With a focus on integrated multispecialty care, the sports medicine physicians in Redwood City care for a variety of patients who vary across age and athleticism.
“It’s a sacred position for me to have my patients trust me with their care and to help them get back to doing the sport that they love,” Dr. Kang said. “There’s no better feeling than to successfully treat an athlete.”
Visit KP Redwood City sports medicine website for more information.