Sports Medicine Specialists

What is sports medicine?

Sports medicine focuses on rehabilitating your damaged bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments after a sports injury. These types of injuries are common in both athletes and physically active individuals. 

Along with treatment, sports medicine strives to prevent reinjury and improve your overall physical health.

Which injuries can sports medicine treat?

Sports medicine treats and prevents a wide range of musculoskeletal injuries that often occur during sports or strenuous activities, including:

• Heel pain
• Plantar fasciitis
• Ankle sprains
• Stress fractures
• Achilles tendonitis
• Shin splints
• Bone spurs
• Ligament injuries
• Foot and ankle trauma

If you’re highly active, it’s important that you fully recover after an injury. Sports injuries that don’t heal properly can lead to chronic pain, limited mobility, and loss of function without the right care.

How do I know if I need a sports medicine specialist?

You should visit Garden State Foot & Ankle Specialists if you experience severe swelling, pain, redness, or an inability to bear your own weight after an injury. Most mild injuries heal on their own with rest, ice, and elevation.

If you’ve tried moderate treatments for your injury with little to no relief, the team can help determine why your injury hasn’t healed and what they can do to promote a full recovery.

How do doctors diagnose sports injuries?

In many cases, the team can diagnose a sports injury by examining the injury site, reviewing your medical history, and listening to your symptoms. If they need additional information to give a proper diagnosis, they can order imaging tests like an X-ray, MRI, or CT scan.

What are some common sports medicine treatments?

How the team treats your injury depends on several factors, including the location and severity of your injury. Their primary goal is to restore you to full function and mobility through non-surgical approaches to care.

Your podiatrist may recommend non-invasive solutions such as physical therapy, bracing, taping, and therapeutic exercises to rebuild your strength after a sports injury.

The team can also fit you for custom-made orthotics, which are shoe inserts that provide support, stability, and cushion for your feet.

If non-surgical options aren’t enough to fully rehabilitate your injury, the team performs a variety of minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures that result in less pain, bleeding, and a shorter recovery time than traditional open surgery.

To learn more about the sports medicine treatments available at Garden State Foot & Ankle Specialists, call or book an appointment online today.