Sports Medicine Specialist

What is sports medicine?

Sports medicine includes the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of injuries that occur when you’re active in athletics. This field of medicine also helps people with conditions that affect their performance, whether they’re related to an injury or balance, gait, or training problem.

Sports injuries may result from an unfortunate accident or an especially forceful impact. More often, however, sports injuries are caused by improper technique, poor training, and overuse.

Dr. Kane treats all sports-related injuries of the shoulder, hip, and knee, including:

• ACL tears
• Collateral ligament tears
• Meniscal tears
• SLAP tear
• Rotator cuff tears and tendonitis
• Labral tears
• Bursitis
• Tendonitis
• Tendon tears
• Fractures
• Dislocations
• Biceps tendinopathy
  
  

Without proper treatment and rest, most sports injuries get progressively worse. With the proper orthopedic treatment, full recovery is often possible.

What symptoms develop due to a sports injury?

Injured muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones cause symptoms such as:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Joint instability
• Restricted movement
• Muscle weakness
• Tingling or numbness
• Inability to use the injured limb
  
  

If your symptoms are severe or they don’t improve with a few days of rest, don’t wait to schedule a same- or next-day appointment with Dr. Kane.

What treatments are used in sports medicine?

Dr. Kane develops customized treatment based on the type of injury, the severity of your symptoms, and your goals for returning to the game. Treatment begins by giving the injury time to heal, whether that means resting, modifying your activities, or immobilization. Dr. Kane may also consider injections, such as steroid and trigger point injections.

In virtually all cases, a sports injury requires intensive physical therapy or structured exercises. This type of rehabilitation is essential to rebuild your strength, flexibility, and mobility. Carefully structured exercises also promote healing and relieve pain by increasing blood circulation and reducing inflammation.

Surgery is usually the last resort, considered only when your pain, instability, or limited movement remain after conservative therapy. But when you’re a competitive athlete, your injury may require immediate surgery. 

For example, a complex fracture, complete ligament rupture, meniscal damage, or a tendon tear may all need surgical repair to ensure you regain optimal strength and you can return to your sport without the risk of instability or reinjury. 

When you suffer a sports injury, call Kane Orthopedic Institute or schedule an appointment online.