Louisiana Surgical Center
Sports medicine doctors are experts at treating serious athletes as well as people who participate in sports for exercise or enjoyment. Both groups are at risk for many of the same sports injuries and conditions, especially repetitive stress injuries. For instance, people who play racquet sports frequently, such as tennis, pickleball, or racquetball—regardless of whether they are a professional or playing just for recreation—are at risk for a repetitive stress injury known as tennis elbow.
Sports medicine specialists also see athletes with traumatic injuries, such as those who fall while participating in a sport or are accidentally knocked down by another player. Examples of these injuries include fractures, sprains, and knee and hip injuries.
A good sports medicine doctor understands it is always best to first consider any and all nonsurgical solutions that can help the patient. However, good sports medicine doctors also have the wisdom to know that some issues may be beyond what a conservative treatment can repair and that surgery is sometimes the best solution to restore a patient’s health.
When It’s Time to Seek Sports Medicine Care
Take note of the symptoms you are experiencing and communicate those to your doctor so they will have a better understanding of what may be happening. Here are just some of the symptoms that people with sports-related problems typically have:
- Abnormal joint sensations (grinding, cracking, or bone-on-bone)
- Audible popping sound when the joint was injured
- Joint tenderness
- Knee is locked
- Reduced range of motion in the affected joint
- Shoulder or hip pain
- Stiff joint or joints
- Stopped participating in your sport because of pain
- Swelling
- Tingling
If any of these symptoms describe your issue, it’s possible that you may have one of these medical conditions or injuries:
- Ankle sprain
- Concussion
- Dislocation
- Fractured finger
- Golfer’s elbow
- Kneecap fracture
- Meniscus tear
- Overuse (repetitive stress) injury
- Shin splint
- Sprained wrist
- Strained hamstring
- Torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
Pain can have a negative effect on your life, leaving you unable to participate in everyday activities. If the pain and underlying condition remain untreated, there is a risk of further injury or damage occurring, which is why it’s imperative to contact one of our sports medicine specialists and set up a consultation.