Sports Medicine

What is sports medicine?

Sports medicine covers all the health-related services needed by athletes and people who are physically active, from professional ballplayers to school children.

Many practices that provide sports medicine services focus on maximizing athletic performance through physical therapies, exercise regimes, and nutrition. Dr. Goldstein focuses on providing repair and rehabilitation for athletes who’ve suffered a sports injury.

Sports injuries can be acute or chronic. Acute injuries are those that happen in an instant, for example when you’re racing to make a catch during a baseball game and feel something give in your leg. Chronic injuries happen over long periods, as the tissues suffer from the effects of overuse and get weak or damaged.

What types of sports injuries are most common?

There are numerous ways to injure yourself from playing sports or training. Some of the sports injuries Dr. Goldstein sees most among his patients include:

• ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tear
• Finger jams
• Achilles tendinitis
• Tendon ruptures
• Ankle sprains
• Bursitis
• Golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis)
• Groin strain
• Hamstring pulls or tears
• Herniated spinal disc
• Meniscal tears
• Patellofemoral pain syndrome
• Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
• Neck injuries
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Stress fractures

Before deciding on an appropriate treatment plan for your sports injury, Dr. Goldstein needs to make an accurate diagnosis and assess the extent of any damage. He carries out a comprehensive physical exam and checks how well you can move the affected area. He might also need to run nerve conduction tests if you have any tingling or loss of feeling that could indicate nerve damage.

Diagnostic imaging tests including X-rays, CT (computed tomography) scans, and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans are often necessary so Dr. Goldstein can see clear images of the tissues inside the affected part of your body.

Seeing the extent of any ligament damage in detail or whether there are any bone chips lodged in a joint for example are invaluable in making sure your treatment is effective.

What treatments are there for sports injuries?

Sports medicine is a specialized discipline that offers advanced, cutting edge treatment options for sports injuries. However, initial treatments for sports injuries follow similar lines as a treatment for any other type of injury, starting with conservative options.

Dr. Goldstein creates a personalized treatment plan for you based on the results of your physical exam and tests and his expertise in treating sports injuries. Potential therapies include:

• TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
• Thermotherapy (heat therapy)
• Myofascial release
• Anti-inflammatories
• Massage therapy
• Physical therapy
• Stretching exercises
• Acupuncture
• Ultrasound therapy
• Steroid injections
• Regenerative medicine

Don’t struggle with a sports injury when Dr. Goldstein’s expertise in sports medicine means you could soon be back in training. Call Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, PC, today, or book an appointment online.