The Cobra
12-24-2010, 03:45 PM
11. Softball-sized bruise, left hamstring
Year: 2004
Favre file: Suffered against Indianapolis; threw four touchdown passes in a loss.
Feels like: Very painful. Bending knee and flexing hip are difficult. Also, it's visually disconcerting. "Normally, it starts as black and blue from bleeding within the muscle," Yoss says. "Then it will turn yellow and green. What freaks most people out is that gravity starts pulling the blood down towards the feet, and bruising starts to occur in areas lower than where the injury occurred. That means there is some good muscle tearing happening." Um, isn't that bad muscle tearing?
Standard treatment: Rest, ice and compression.
Average recovery time: Seven to 10 days to walk without pain; at least six weeks to return to athletic activity.
Weekend warrior impact: Rising from a chair is tough -- and sadly, the NFL RedZone channel broadcasts for only a half-dozen hours every Sunday.
12. Concussion (described as "mild")
[+] EnlargeBrett Favre
AP Photo/David StlukaA hit by the Giants' William Joseph knocked Favre out of the game in 2004.
Year: 2004
Favre file: Suffered against New York Giants; famously re-entered game and threw a touchdown pass before team forced him to sit.
Feels like: If you're lucky, a headache that lasts for a few days; if you're unlucky, dizziness, sleep loss and emotional changes due to brain bruising.
Standard treatment: Rest; no return to play until all symptoms are gone.
Average recovery time: Days to months. No two concussions are alike.
Weekend warrior impact: Hard to concentrate; light sensitivity; nausea; working on a computer may cause and/or exacerbate a headache. "Some symptoms last for a long time," Trowbridge says. "Slow reaction time, concentration issues and balance issues are often the worst." Decision-making and driving ability also may be impaired.
13. Sprained right hand
Year: 2004
Favre file: Suffered against Dallas; led Green Bay to victory.
Feels like: Pretty painful if you're right-handed.
Standard treatment: Ice and a brace to protect the injured hand.
Average recovery time: Two weeks in the brace; about four weeks total.
Weekend warrior impact: Anything you do with your right hand, you'll have to switch to your left. Even mouse-clicking.
[+] EnlargeBrett Favre
AP Photo/David StlukaBrett Favre grimaces as he walks off the field after getting injured against the Patriots in 2006.
14. Injured ulnar nerve, right elbow
Year: 2006
Favre file: Suffered against New England and left game. Lost game next week against Seattle.
Feels like: Repeatedly hitting your funny bone. A tingling, painful sensation up and down the arm. Numbness of the small and ring finger. Can cause arm and hand muscles to become weak. Severe injuries can cause permanent hand paralysis.
Standard treatment: Stretching exercises and avoiding elbow irritation can alleviate the tingling. Splinting the arm during sleep can reduce tension on the nerve. Chronic irritation may require surgery.
Average recovery time: Varies. If surgery is required to release a compressed nerve, add two to three months.
Weekend warrior impact: Similar to tendinitis.
15. Bone spurs, left ankle
Year: 2006
Favre file: Uncertain when Favre first experienced problems; had surgery after 2006-07 NFL season.
Feels like: Very painful if the injury is near nerves or soft tissues such as muscle and tendon. Also counts as chronic, annoying problem -- any time you put the ankle in a particular position, you'll feel pain. Often caused by arthritic degeneration in the joint due to overuse and trauma.
Standard treatment: Avoid the particular position or have surgery to remove the spurs. Painkillers can mask the hurt.
Average recovery time: Six to eight weeks of immobilization after surgery, followed by three to four months of rehab.
Weekend warrior impact: Simply put, you'll be hobbled.
16. Torn right biceps
Year: 2008
Favre file: Suffered over the final five games of the season, in which Favre threw nine interceptions and quarterbacked the New York Jets to a 1-4 mark.
Feels like: Sufferers will often hear a snap and may be able to feel a divot within their biceps. Ewwww. Hurts pretty bad when you have a partial tear; if and when the muscle tears completely, the injury curiously feels a lot less painful.
Standard treatment: Varies. Biceps tears can reduce function, but not always in severe fashion. "Most people walking around with a frayed biceps tendon may not even know it," says Dr. Allston Stubbs, who has worked with the Denver Broncos, the Colorado Rockies, the U.S. ski team and Duke University athletics. "The pain is more a problem than the lost functionality. The majority of people are able to compensate. Sometimes it's more of a cosmetic problem than a functional problem. A full tear can make you arm look like Popeye's. Rupturing the muscle is actually how you cosmetically enhance the biceps." As a general rule, tears located near the shoulder require surgery less often than tears by the elbow.
Average recovery time: If surgery is required, at least six months. Full recovery can take an entire year.
Weekend warrior impact: Wearing a sling is inconvenient; participating in recreational sports is a no-go until full elbow flexion and extension and full shoulder motion return. Thankfully, playing fantasy football is A-OK.
17. Pulled groin
Year: 2009
Favre file: Suffered injury in practice; subsequently played against Green Bay and Detroit.
Feels like: Depending on severity, between mild and purgatory, as most movements with your legs become painful. "It can be a harbinger of a more serious injury, such as a labral tear in the hip," says Dr. Peter Millett, a shoulder specialist and team physician for the U.S. ski team. "Alex Rodriguez and Kurt Warner both suffered from that."
Standard treatment: Ice, rest and anti-inflammatories. Extra caution that you don't return to activity too soon, because groin pulls are easy to reinjure.
Average recovery time: One to six weeks.
Weekend warrior impact: Getting in and out of cars is especially painful.
18. Stress fracture, left ankle and avulsion fracture
of calcaneus (heel area)
Year: 2010
Favre file: After injuring ankle in NFC Championship Game against New Orleans, reinjured joint against Green Bay on Oct. 24; played next week against New England.
Feels like: "This hurts!" Yoss says. "Every time you take a step, you're going to feel this one."
Standard treatment: Walking boot for four to six weeks. Limited activity for at least eight weeks. Formal rehab to make sure the calf and Achilles tendon are flexible enough to take tension off the calcaneus.
Average recovery time: Two months.
Weekend warrior impact: If your "Madden NFL" skills are rusty, now's the time to brush up.
19. Sprained sternoclavicular (SC) joint, right shoulder
Year: 2010
Favre file: Finally forced to miss start versus New York Giants.
Feels like: Very, very painful. Swelling and tenderness in the front of the chest. The SC joint attaches the collarbone to the breastbone -- in essence, the arm to the body -- which means most upper-body motions are affected. Worst case scenario: An unstable collarbone can compress major blood vessels, including the jugular vein and aorta.
Standard treatment: Requires careful evaluation by a specialist. Less severe cases require ice, anti-inflammatories, wearing a sling for a few weeks and rehab with range-of-motion exercises. More severe cases require surgery to rebuild torn ligaments.
Average recovery time: Three weeks to more than three months.
Weekend warrior impact: Your status as a jeans-wearin', backyard football all-time quarterback may be in doubt. "It's typically an extremely difficult injury from which to recover fully," Millett says. "Especially for an overhead-throwing athlete."
Additional thanks to Dr. Joshua Zimmerman of the Human Motion Institute at Raritan Bay Medical Center, Dr. Bill Moutzouros of the Henry Ford Medical Group, Dr. Patrick McCulloch of the Methodist Center for Sports Medicine in Houston and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune for cataloging many of Favre's career injuries and subsequent performances.
Patrick Hruby is a freelance writer and ESPN.com contributor. Contact him at PatrickHruby.net.
Cobra...
And there we have it, makes me want to run out & buy stock in Advil.
Year: 2004
Favre file: Suffered against Indianapolis; threw four touchdown passes in a loss.
Feels like: Very painful. Bending knee and flexing hip are difficult. Also, it's visually disconcerting. "Normally, it starts as black and blue from bleeding within the muscle," Yoss says. "Then it will turn yellow and green. What freaks most people out is that gravity starts pulling the blood down towards the feet, and bruising starts to occur in areas lower than where the injury occurred. That means there is some good muscle tearing happening." Um, isn't that bad muscle tearing?
Standard treatment: Rest, ice and compression.
Average recovery time: Seven to 10 days to walk without pain; at least six weeks to return to athletic activity.
Weekend warrior impact: Rising from a chair is tough -- and sadly, the NFL RedZone channel broadcasts for only a half-dozen hours every Sunday.
12. Concussion (described as "mild")
[+] EnlargeBrett Favre
AP Photo/David StlukaA hit by the Giants' William Joseph knocked Favre out of the game in 2004.
Year: 2004
Favre file: Suffered against New York Giants; famously re-entered game and threw a touchdown pass before team forced him to sit.
Feels like: If you're lucky, a headache that lasts for a few days; if you're unlucky, dizziness, sleep loss and emotional changes due to brain bruising.
Standard treatment: Rest; no return to play until all symptoms are gone.
Average recovery time: Days to months. No two concussions are alike.
Weekend warrior impact: Hard to concentrate; light sensitivity; nausea; working on a computer may cause and/or exacerbate a headache. "Some symptoms last for a long time," Trowbridge says. "Slow reaction time, concentration issues and balance issues are often the worst." Decision-making and driving ability also may be impaired.
13. Sprained right hand
Year: 2004
Favre file: Suffered against Dallas; led Green Bay to victory.
Feels like: Pretty painful if you're right-handed.
Standard treatment: Ice and a brace to protect the injured hand.
Average recovery time: Two weeks in the brace; about four weeks total.
Weekend warrior impact: Anything you do with your right hand, you'll have to switch to your left. Even mouse-clicking.
[+] EnlargeBrett Favre
AP Photo/David StlukaBrett Favre grimaces as he walks off the field after getting injured against the Patriots in 2006.
14. Injured ulnar nerve, right elbow
Year: 2006
Favre file: Suffered against New England and left game. Lost game next week against Seattle.
Feels like: Repeatedly hitting your funny bone. A tingling, painful sensation up and down the arm. Numbness of the small and ring finger. Can cause arm and hand muscles to become weak. Severe injuries can cause permanent hand paralysis.
Standard treatment: Stretching exercises and avoiding elbow irritation can alleviate the tingling. Splinting the arm during sleep can reduce tension on the nerve. Chronic irritation may require surgery.
Average recovery time: Varies. If surgery is required to release a compressed nerve, add two to three months.
Weekend warrior impact: Similar to tendinitis.
15. Bone spurs, left ankle
Year: 2006
Favre file: Uncertain when Favre first experienced problems; had surgery after 2006-07 NFL season.
Feels like: Very painful if the injury is near nerves or soft tissues such as muscle and tendon. Also counts as chronic, annoying problem -- any time you put the ankle in a particular position, you'll feel pain. Often caused by arthritic degeneration in the joint due to overuse and trauma.
Standard treatment: Avoid the particular position or have surgery to remove the spurs. Painkillers can mask the hurt.
Average recovery time: Six to eight weeks of immobilization after surgery, followed by three to four months of rehab.
Weekend warrior impact: Simply put, you'll be hobbled.
16. Torn right biceps
Year: 2008
Favre file: Suffered over the final five games of the season, in which Favre threw nine interceptions and quarterbacked the New York Jets to a 1-4 mark.
Feels like: Sufferers will often hear a snap and may be able to feel a divot within their biceps. Ewwww. Hurts pretty bad when you have a partial tear; if and when the muscle tears completely, the injury curiously feels a lot less painful.
Standard treatment: Varies. Biceps tears can reduce function, but not always in severe fashion. "Most people walking around with a frayed biceps tendon may not even know it," says Dr. Allston Stubbs, who has worked with the Denver Broncos, the Colorado Rockies, the U.S. ski team and Duke University athletics. "The pain is more a problem than the lost functionality. The majority of people are able to compensate. Sometimes it's more of a cosmetic problem than a functional problem. A full tear can make you arm look like Popeye's. Rupturing the muscle is actually how you cosmetically enhance the biceps." As a general rule, tears located near the shoulder require surgery less often than tears by the elbow.
Average recovery time: If surgery is required, at least six months. Full recovery can take an entire year.
Weekend warrior impact: Wearing a sling is inconvenient; participating in recreational sports is a no-go until full elbow flexion and extension and full shoulder motion return. Thankfully, playing fantasy football is A-OK.
17. Pulled groin
Year: 2009
Favre file: Suffered injury in practice; subsequently played against Green Bay and Detroit.
Feels like: Depending on severity, between mild and purgatory, as most movements with your legs become painful. "It can be a harbinger of a more serious injury, such as a labral tear in the hip," says Dr. Peter Millett, a shoulder specialist and team physician for the U.S. ski team. "Alex Rodriguez and Kurt Warner both suffered from that."
Standard treatment: Ice, rest and anti-inflammatories. Extra caution that you don't return to activity too soon, because groin pulls are easy to reinjure.
Average recovery time: One to six weeks.
Weekend warrior impact: Getting in and out of cars is especially painful.
18. Stress fracture, left ankle and avulsion fracture
of calcaneus (heel area)
Year: 2010
Favre file: After injuring ankle in NFC Championship Game against New Orleans, reinjured joint against Green Bay on Oct. 24; played next week against New England.
Feels like: "This hurts!" Yoss says. "Every time you take a step, you're going to feel this one."
Standard treatment: Walking boot for four to six weeks. Limited activity for at least eight weeks. Formal rehab to make sure the calf and Achilles tendon are flexible enough to take tension off the calcaneus.
Average recovery time: Two months.
Weekend warrior impact: If your "Madden NFL" skills are rusty, now's the time to brush up.
19. Sprained sternoclavicular (SC) joint, right shoulder
Year: 2010
Favre file: Finally forced to miss start versus New York Giants.
Feels like: Very, very painful. Swelling and tenderness in the front of the chest. The SC joint attaches the collarbone to the breastbone -- in essence, the arm to the body -- which means most upper-body motions are affected. Worst case scenario: An unstable collarbone can compress major blood vessels, including the jugular vein and aorta.
Standard treatment: Requires careful evaluation by a specialist. Less severe cases require ice, anti-inflammatories, wearing a sling for a few weeks and rehab with range-of-motion exercises. More severe cases require surgery to rebuild torn ligaments.
Average recovery time: Three weeks to more than three months.
Weekend warrior impact: Your status as a jeans-wearin', backyard football all-time quarterback may be in doubt. "It's typically an extremely difficult injury from which to recover fully," Millett says. "Especially for an overhead-throwing athlete."
Additional thanks to Dr. Joshua Zimmerman of the Human Motion Institute at Raritan Bay Medical Center, Dr. Bill Moutzouros of the Henry Ford Medical Group, Dr. Patrick McCulloch of the Methodist Center for Sports Medicine in Houston and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune for cataloging many of Favre's career injuries and subsequent performances.
Patrick Hruby is a freelance writer and ESPN.com contributor. Contact him at PatrickHruby.net.
Cobra...
And there we have it, makes me want to run out & buy stock in Advil.