Sports Medicine
If you’re an active person, that’s great for your health, but constant physical activity can put you at risk of injury. We specialize in treating sports injuries quickly and completely so you aren’t missing out on the activities you
enjoy.
We also serve as team doctors for professional sports teams like the Phoenix Coyotes, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns and Arizona Coyotes so you can rest assured you’re getting the same advanced treatment the professionals get.
We offer a wide variety of sports medicine treatments that include physical therapy, home exercises, medications, splints, orthotics and therapeutic injections to address common orthopedic conditions including but not limited to the following:
- Concussion
- Spinal cord injury
- Stress fracture – a condition that occurs as the result of repeatedly making the same movement in a specific region which can lead to bone breakage.
- Shoulder dislocation
- Rotator cuff injuries – a condition that occurs when any of the group of muscles and tendons attached to the bones of the shoulder joint are irritated, inflamed or torn. This may cause pain, weakness, stiffness or loss of motion.
- Tendonitis – a condition that occurs when the tendons or the structures that join muscles to the bones in the elbow, heel, knee, shoulder, thumb or wrist become swollen or inflamed.
Request an Orthopedic Specialist Referral Today
What Is Sports Medicine?
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that makes use of scientific research to optimize the health and athletic performance of athletes in training and in competition under medical supervision. Its goal is to help athletes recover from injury and prevent
future injuries.
Although sports medicine is more commonly associated with orthopedic medicine, it is also an umbrella term used to bridge medicine, physical education and basic sciences like physiology, chemistry and physics. Other medical specialties such as pediatrics,
cardiology, psychiatry, gynecology and ophthalmology also play an important role in comprehensive sports medicine.
A sports medicine team typically consists of an orthopedic surgeon, a certified athletic trainer, a physical therapist or kinesiotherapist and a strength-and-conditioning specialist. Allied health professionals in the areas of sports nutrition, sports
psychology, sports physiology, podiatry, sports vision, sports dentistry and chiropractic may serve as valuable consultants as well.
Types of Sports Injuries
Sports injuries most commonly occur either during exercise or while participating in a sport.
There are two kinds of sports injuries:
- Acute Traumatic Injuries – types of injuries that happen after a blow or force like fractures, sprains, strains, concussions and cuts.
- Overuse Injuries – also referred to as chronic injuries. These types of injuries happen over time and from repetitive training like running, overhand throwing or serving tennis. If left untreated, these types of injuries like stress fractures
and tendonitis tend to get worse.
Children are more prone to sports injuries especially if they fall in any of the criteria below:
- Haven’t been regularly active
- Don’t warm up properly before exercise
- Play contact sports
Sports Injuries Treatment
The RICE method is a common treatment for mild sports injuries. It is performed within the first 24 to 36 hours after the injury to reduce swelling and prevent additional pain and bruising. RICE stands for
R – rest
I – ice
C – compression
E - elevation
Contact a healthcare provider if there are no signs of improvement after performing the RICE method. Serious sports injuries can require surgery and physical therapy.
