Medicina deportiva
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If you're experiencing an orthopedic injury or ongoing joint pain, schedule a consultation with one of our orthopedic specialists by calling (508) 342-1103.
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From Injury to Comeback
Whether you consider yourself a weekend warrior or a competitive athlete, the specialists at Sturdy Health provide comprehensive sports medicine care for people of all ages and abilities.
Our orthopedic physicians specialize in sports medicine and provide expert diagnosis and treatment for sports-related injuries. Whether your goal is returning to competition, work, or everyday activities, we’ll help you recover safely and get back to doing what you love.
Common Sports Medicine injuries we treat:
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears
- Labral tears
- Runner's knee
- Knee dislocation
- Knee sprains
- Stress fractures
- Turf toe
- Roturas de menisco
- Rotator cuff tears and shoulder injuries
- Shin splints
- Shoulder dislocation/instability
- Sports-related hand/wrist injuries
- Tennis elbow (tendonitis)
We take a team approach to your care, bringing together orthopedic physicians and physical therapists to create a treatment plan tailored to your injury and recovery goals. Depending on your diagnosis, treatment may include physical therapy, pain management, or surgery.
Athletes can overextend themselves by participating in multiple sports simultaneously, playing on teams in overlapping seasons, or training excessively. Associated strenuous and repetitive motions, combined with inadequate rest periods, can cause painful, motion-inhibiting injuries to growing and vulnerable, bodies. These injuries not only sideline athletes from the sports they love, but have the potential for long-term consequences if left untreated.
In throwing, high-impact, and contact sports like baseball, football, hockey, tennis, gymnastics, and wrestling, young athletes are particularly at-risk for shoulder or elbow problems. Dislocations, tears, fractures, and tendonitis are common traumatic and overuse injuries. Athletes, parents, and coaches should know that noninvasive therapies and minimally invasive surgical options can help athletes return to activity, and conditioning and mechanics exercises can help prevent injuries in the first place.
A common overuse injury in athletes who participate in repetitive overhead throwing sports is a UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) tear. The UCL helps stabilize the elbow during throwing motions. Many UCL injuries can be treated with rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy. If these treatments don’t relieve pain or restore function, Tommy John surgery (UCL reconstruction) may be recommended.
Another common overuse injury is tennis elbow, a condition caused by irritation of the tendons around the elbow. It can often be treated successfully with rest, anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy.
Before growth plates close—typically between ages 12 and 14 in girls and 14 and 16 in boys—young athletes are also at risk for stress injuries or fractures involving the growth plates in the shoulder or elbow. One example is Little Leaguer’s Elbow, a growth plate injury caused by repetitive throwing. Early treatment with rest, anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy can help prevent long-term damage and support healthy bone growth.
Wearing appropriate protective gear, such as shoulder or elbow pads, can help prevent traumatic injuries. To prevent overuse injuries of the shoulder and elbow, young athletes can correct throwing mechanics, follow pitching guidelines for their age group, increase arm and rotator cuff strength, and rest until pain resolves.
Strong core and leg muscles also play an important role in preventing injury. Much of the power used in throwing comes from the lower body, so weakness in the core and legs can place additional stress on the shoulder and elbow.
If a young athlete experiences persistent pain, aching, swelling, or tenderness, parents and coaches should schedule an evaluation with their physician. Early treatment can help prevent more serious injuries and support a safe return to sports.
