Sports Medicine
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine focusing on sports-related injuries and physical fitness. Our orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine physicians help patients recover mobility and enhance their athletic performance. We specialize in a wide variety of musculoskeletal injuries impacting the elbow, foot, ankle, hip, knee, shoulder and back. Contact ProOrtho to learn more.
Our physicians are experts in addressing the following and more:
- Ankle Sprains
- Achilles Tendon Problems
- Other Sports-Related Ankle Injuries
- Golfer’s Elbow
- Tennis Elbow
- Elbow Dislocation
- Foot Trauma, Including Fractures and Sports-Related Injuries
- Heel Pain and Plantar Fasciitis
- Hip Replacement
- Labral Tears
- ACL Surgery
- Cartilage Restoration
- Partial Knee Replacement
- Total Knee Replacement
- AC Joint Arthritis
- Rotator Cuff Tears
- Rotator Cuff Tendinitis, Bursitis, and Impingement
- Shoulder Replacement
- Pain Management
- Back, Buttock, & Leg Pain
- Neck & Arm Pain
- Spine – Body Mechanics
Common Sports Medicine Problems
Sports medicine involves injuries to the bones and soft tissue like muscles, ligaments, and tendons. They generally happen as a result of overuse, or are due to sudden trauma. Acute injuries caused by trauma may happen from collisions with other players or the playing environment. These include bruising, sprains, concussions, fractures, or muscle and tendon tears. Overuse sports injuries come gradually over time from repetitive strain. These injuries commonly involve the elbow, shoulders, feet, and knees.
How to Identify Sports Injuries
Whether sports injuries occur due to sudden trauma or result from overuse, they require immediate medical attention to avoid further complications or disability. It’s very common for adolescent athletes to hide or play down their injury and symptoms in an effort to keep playing, so it’s extremely important for parents or coaches to observe any unusual behaviors like changes in form, pain when playing or at night, or general fatigue. When assessing for injury, look for any redness, swelling, sensitivity, or limited range of motion.
Treatment Options
When diagnosing sports injuries, doctors will gather information about how the injury occurred, the symptoms the athlete is experiencing, and their medical history. They will examine range of motion while checking for any swelling or tenderness, and utilize imaging tests like X-Ray or ultrasound if necessary to evaluate bones and surrounding ligaments, tendons, muscles, and other tissue.
While some injuries will require surgery, depending on the type of injury and its severity doctors may prescribe braces or other support mechanisms, physical therapy, strength workouts, and other non-surgical remedies. If surgery is required, our sports medicine surgeons provide minimally-invasive surgical procedures, and follow up with detailed recovery and re-injury prevention plans.
Even with proper training and safety equipment, sports have an inherent risk of injury. Athletes can prevent or recover from sports injuries with quality information, diagnoses, treatment, and planning. Contact our sports medicine specialists in Seattle to learn more.
