Sports Medicine

Sports medicine focuses on keeping the human body moving efficiently, treating injuries that occur during exercise, sports, or physical activity. While different sports stress different parts of the body, most injuries fall into two basic categories: acute injuries (sudden trauma like a fall or a collision) and chronic injuries (overuse injuries that develop gradually over time).

No matter your skill level, the most common sports injuries consistently span across a few key areas of the musculoskeletal system.

Sprains and Strains

People often use these terms interchangeably, but they affect different tissues in your joints and limbs.

• Sprains: An injury to a ligament, the bands of tissue that connect bone to bone. The most frequent is a lateral ankle sprain, which happens when the foot rolls inward, stretching or tearing the outer ligaments.
• Strains: An injury to a muscle or a tendon (the tissue connecting muscle to bone). Commonly referred to as a "pulled muscle," these frequently occur in the hamstring, or calves due to sudden acceleration or overstretching.

Knee Injuries

The knee is a complex, weight-bearing joint that absorbs incredible amounts of force. Its role in running, jumping and pivoting can make it susceptible to injury

• Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tears: Often caused by sudden changes in direction, pivoting, or landing awkwardly from a jump. It is one of the most common acute knee injuries across sports like basketball, soccer, and football.
• Meniscus Tears: The meniscus acts as a shock-absorbing cartilage cushion in the knee. Twisting the knee forcefully can damage the meniscus, causing pain, swelling, and a sensation that the joint is "catching" or locking.
• Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome ("Runner’s Knee"): A chronic overuse condition where irritation occurs under the knee cap due to repetitive friction, poor tracking, or muscle imbalances.

Shoulder and Elbow Overuse

Repetitive overhead motions—like throwing a baseball, serving a tennis ball, or swimming—frequently lead to upper extremity wear and tear.

• Rotator Cuff Tendinitis or Tears: The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and tendons that stabilize the shoulder joint. Repetitive strain or sudden trauma can cause inflammation or tearing, leading to deep, aching pain when lifting your arm.
• Epicondylitis (Tennis or Golfer’s Elbow): Overuse injuries caused by repetitive wrist and arm motions. Tennis elbow affects the tendons on the outside of the elbow, while golfer's elbow affects the inside tendons.

Bone and Soft Tissue Stress

• Fractures: A fall or other high impact injury can cause a fracture to a bone. Often treated conservatively, there are times that surgical intervention is necessary in order to re-align the bone and ensure proper healing.
• Stress Fractures: Unlike a sudden break, a stress fracture is an area of bone damage that develops from repetitive impact. They are common in the shins (tibia) and feet of runners or athletes who suddenly increase their training volume.
• Tendinitis: Chronic inflammation of a tendon, often the Achilles tendon at the back of the heel or the patellar tendon below the kneecap.

Regardless of what area of your body, the mechanism of injury or the structures involved, having the injury evaluated and an appropriate treatment plan will help your body heal faster and get you back to the field, court and road faster.