Sports Medicine FAQ

A sports medicine physician has specialized training in diagnosing and treating bone, muscle, tendon and joint injuries caused by sports and other physical activities. They care for those who enjoy active lifestyles, including athletes at every level of sports.

Sports medicine doctors are on hand to provide care for athletes at sporting events. They also:

Not at all. Sports medicine physicians can treat anyone with injuries or concerns involving their musculoskeletal system, which includes bones, muscles and joints. Their patients may have a sports injury or another problem keeping them from everyday physical activities.

Sports injuries include concussions, bruises, muscle and ligament tears and strains, nose bleeds, broken bones, dislocated bones and more. These injuries can occur when:

Sports injuries are divided into two broad categories – acute and chronic.

Acute injuries occur suddenly, many times from a blow during a contact sport like football.

Sudden injuries can also occur during any physical activity. For example, a downhill skier may break a bone during a fall, a gymnast may sprain an ankle on a landing or a tennis player may tear a ligament during a sudden pivot.

Symptoms of an acute injury include:

Sports injuries are divided into two broad categories – acute and chronic.

If you’ve ever played a sport and suffered discomfort performing the same movement repeatedly, you may have had a chronic sports injury.

Chronic injuries are caused by prolonged, repetitive motion. The motion doesn’t have to be overly strenuous – it’s overuse that causes the injury. These injuries develop gradually over time and can occur in any sport that requires ongoing repetitive motion or impact like running, swimming and tennis.

Symptoms of a chronic injury include:

Go to the nearest emergency department or call 911 if you’ve experienced any of the following:

If your injury makes it hard to stand, walk or function in general, contact your sports medicine physician right away.

If you can’t see your doctor immediately, urgent care may be your best option.

If your recent injury isn’t improving with home care, schedule an appointment with your sports medicine specialist.

You’ll want to see your specialist if your injury:

If you strain a muscle or sprain an ankle or wrist, home care may be all you need to get back in the game.

Start by resting

Don’t use the injured part of your body to avoid worsening the injury. If you’re in pain, consider using an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen and aspirin to reduce pain and inflammation. Acetaminophen also can ease pain, but it won’t reduce inflammation.

Over-the-counter medications aren’t a long-term solution. If your pain worsens or persists beyond a week, contact your doctor.

Apply ice and/or heat to an injury

Icing or applying heat to an injury can also ease discomfort. You can do either, or alternate if that feels best. Don’t ice longer than 20 minutes at a time to avoid damaging nerves.

Icing reduces inflammation and swelling by decreasing blood flow to the injured area. Icing is most effective 24 - 48 hours after an injury.

Applying heat to an injury increases blood flow and eases pain when inflammation and swelling have gone down. Heat also warms muscles before exercise, so consider applying it as you return to physical activity.

Primary care sports medicine clinicians don’t perform surgery. However, they do perform ultrasound-guided injections and procedures that can be less invasive treatment options for some injuries or chronic issues.

If your injury requires surgery to heal properly, your specialist will refer you to an orthopedic surgeon. Some orthopedic surgeons specialize solely in sports medicine.

Depending on your injury, your orthopedic surgeon may be able to perform a minimally invasive procedure. These surgeries result in less trauma to the body and typically a faster recovery. That means you’ll be able to get back to sports and the activities of daily life quicker.