Sports Medicine

Conditions Treated

The cause of most ACL tears is a sudden, abrupt change in force to the knee. This can occur during an unexpected cutting move during sports, or when landing from a jump during basketball. Recent evidence shows that most of these injuries are non-contact and do not involve a collision with another player.

Refers to repetitive compression of the bones over the front or back portion of the ankle joint.

Articular cartilage is the shiny cartilage lining joint surfaces. This is a special type of cartilage that doesn't always heal well on its own.

Bursitis is an inflammation of a bursa in the body. Bursas are lubricated fluid- filled sacs throughout the body that help reduce rubbing, friction and irritation between bones and soft tissue.

A painful condition where pressure builds up in the lower leg. There are four compartments in the lower leg with the outer (lateral) compartment being the most common.

A concussion is a brain injury from a direct blow to the head, face, neck or body where a force is transferred to the brain. Your child should be evaluated right away if they have a loss of consciousness, change in mental status, repeated episodes of vomiting, loss of coordination, or slurred speech. Visit the Brain Health and Wellness Center to learn more about concussion recovery.

A major injury usually caused by a fall or trauma to the elbow. An elbow dislocation can result in bone, ligament and cartilage injury.

Asthma is the most common chronic medical problem in children. The most common symptoms are wheezing, difficulty breathing, chest tightness, and chest pain. Asthma symptoms can be triggered with allergies, exposure to cigarette smoke, with a cold or with exercise. A child that only has symptoms of asthma with exercise may have exercise-induced asthma (EIA). 

A combination of menstrual cycle changes, disordered eating, and decreased bone density. It is caused by an athlete's energy output exceeding the calories that are being consumed by the athlete.

Common names for an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb, located on the inside of the thumb that helps with grip strength. Injuries to this ligament occur when the thumb gets bent too far backward and the ligament is sprained or fractured. Many times this happens in “stick” sports like hockey and lacrosse.

Occurs as a result of acute or repetitive stress to these plates often caused by a fall, twist, or direct blow. Injuries that may cause joint sprains in an adult typically cause growth plate injuries to your child.

A a stress injury affecting the growth plate at the end of the radius (forearm) bone where it connects to the hand forming the wrist joint.

If you suspect your child is suffering from heat illness, hydrate well with water or an electrolyte drink, remove all excess clothing, and help the cooling process with ice and fans. If your child doesn’t recover within one hour you should call the doctor.

Heel Pain / Sever's Disease generally presents as pain located in the heel or Achilles tendon. It is usually a unilateral (one-sided) injury, but sometimes can occur on both sides at the same time. 

Hip Impingement (Femoral Acetabular Impingement) - FAI is a condition where the bones of the hip are shaped irregularly and do not fit together well.

An overuse injury and the most common cause of outside (lateral) knee pain in runners, cyclists, and athletes who are repeatedly in the squatting position.

Patellar tendonitis is also called “jumper’s knee.” It can develop in athletes who jump again and again, like in basketball or volleyball.

The labrum is a ring of cartilage that goes around the ball and socket joint of the shoulder. The labrum can be injured when the shoulder dislocates or pops out of socket.

Little league elbow is an overuse injury caused by stress to the inside of the elbow. Symptoms of little league elbow include pain to inner elbow with pitching or throwing, swelling to the inner elbow, trouble extending the elbow completely, and decreased throwing speed and/or accuracy.

An overuse injury caused by stress to the arm bone (humerus) nearest to the shoulder. This stress causes widening of the growth plate, resulting in swelling and pain at the shoulder. Symptoms include pain in the shoulder with pitching or throwing, pain with the shoulder at rest or with lifting the arm, and decreased throwing speed and/or accuracy.

This is one of the most common areas of pain we see in the sports medicine clinic and on the sideline. The majority of back pain is not serious and goes away with little treatment.

Injury to the MCL ligament generally occurs when a force is applied to the outside of the knee, causing the medial collateral ligament  (MCL) to overstretch and possibly tear. This is common in contact activity such as football and soccer. 

The meniscus is a piece of cartilage that provides a cushion between your femur (thighbone) and tibia (shinbone). Meniscus injuries are one of the most common knee injuries. Activities that cause you to twist or rotate your knee, while putting your full weight on your knee, can lead to a torn meniscus.

The patellar tendon is a thin band of tissue that connects the patella (kneecap) to the tibia (shin bone). Osgood-Schlatter Disease is an inflammation of this tendon where it inserts into the shin bone below the knee. Pain is caused by repeated stress from the tendon pulling on the bone during activity. 

A condition that develops in joints, most commonly in children and adolescents. This condition occurs when a segment of bone underneath cartilage begins to die due to a lack of blood flow. This piece of bone and any cartilage attached can then crack and loosen, or completely detach. The main cause of osteochondritis dissecans is thought to be repetitive trauma or stress to the bone and cartilage over time.

Osteomyelitis is an infection in the bone usually caused by a bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus. Although osteomyelitis can occur at any age, it is more common in young children.

An overuse injury happens to a bone, muscle, or tendon when the body cannot deal with the stress an area of the body is experiencing. Overuse injuries result in pain but are not associated with a sudden injury, like a fall. They most commonly occur in areas that are used over and over, and the area may look swollen or feel warm.

A patellar subluxation is a temporary, partial dislocation of the patella (knee cap) with spontaneous relocation. Conversely, a patellar dislocation is a complete displacement of the patella from its normal position without spontaneous relocation.

Pain from an injury or irritation to the plantar fascia, a strong band of tissue that runs along the sole of your foot. It can usually be helped with stretching, rest, and over the counter medication.

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles in your shoulder that go from your shoulder blade to your arm. Injuries to the rotator cuff are most often caused by overuse or poor form, but sometimes come from a traumatic injury.

Pain in the front of your knee where your kneecap (patella) glides abnormally at the end of your thigh bone (femur). It is usually seen in teenagers and is more common in females.

Refers to pain located on the inside edge of the shin bone, or tibia. Athletes may also experience pain in the front of the lower leg. Pain is caused by inflammation of the muscles, tendons and/or bone tissue located in the lower leg due to repeated stress from activity. 

Usually caused by landing on an out stretched arm, or a direct force to the shoulder when the arm is overhead. Call the doctor if your child has a noticeable shoulder deformity, is unable to move their arm, is complaining of weakness, numbness, or tingling, or has discoloration, change in sensation or temperature of the upper arm.

Occurs when the shoulder gets damaged in more than one plan of motion or the shoulder is generalized as “loose”. Pain, swelling, and lack of confidence in the shoulder are common indicators.

Most AC joint injuries are caused by a direct fall or blow to the shoulder with the arm in an adducted (next to the body) position, such as a fall from a bicycle. Acromioclavicular injuries are relatively common in contact sports or from athletes falling directly on their shoulder.

Stress fractures of the spine most common in low back (lumbar) vertebrae.

A tear of the soft tissue in the lower abdomen or groin area. Unlike traditional hernias, a sports hernia does not necessarily mean that there is a hole in the abdominal wall. This injury occurs more often in sports with quick change of direction or twisting.

A sprain is when one or more ligaments in a joint become torn or stretched beyond its normal limits. A strain, more commonly called a pulled muscle, is an injury to muscle fibers or tendon due to excessive force and stretching. Sprains and strains may be caused from falls, direct forces or blows, improper warm-up leading to over stretching tissues, and inadequate rest between sport practices and competitions. 

A tendon is a thick band of tissue that connects muscle to bone. Inflammation or irritation of this thick band of tissue is called tendonitis. It is caused by overuse or improper use of the muscle and tendon. This occurs from doing the same activity repeatedly without enough rest time in between competition or training. Tendonitis can also be caused if an athlete repeatedly uses bad form in an activity. 

Also known as lateral epicondylitis, a condition where pain and inflammation arise on the outside of the elbow due to repeated stress and overuse of the muscles of the forearm. 

A sprain of the big toe, usually occurs suddenly during a motion of running or jumping. Causes difficulty with walking normal (most pain when trying to push off), and mild swelling in the big toe joint. Treatment includes rest, ice, and support by tape or shoe.