Fall is officially here, which means sports are everywhere in Philadelphia. The Eagles are back, the Phillies are making their late-season push, and hockey season is right around the corner. With so many of us staying active, aches, pains and injuries are bound to happen.
The good news? An injury or orthopedic condition doesn’t always mean surgery is the next step. In fact, many common sports and orthopedic conditions can be successfully managed with non-operative treatment. As a non-operative sports medicine physician, my goal is to identify what is causing your pain and create a treatment plan that gets you moving again without unnecessary surgery.
Building Your Game Plan
Every patient is different, and there is no single treatment that works for every injury. The first step is understanding what is causing your pain or limiting your function. This may include a detailed physical examination, movement and biomechanics assessment, or diagnostic ultrasound in the office.
Sometimes the source of pain isn't exactly where you feel it. The way your body moves can place extra stress on certain muscles, tendons and joints. Poor posture, muscle imbalances, weakness or limitations in mobility can all contribute to pain and injury. Identifying these movement patterns allows us to develop a more targeted plan to improve strength, mobility and function.
Ultrasound: Seeing the Problem and Guiding Treatment
Musculoskeletal ultrasound is one of the tools used in sports medicine both diagnostically and during procedures. Ultrasound allows us to evaluate muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints in real time and can also help guide injections with precision.
For some patients, a targeted procedure can be an important part of getting back to activity. Treatment options may include:
Trigger point injections: Helpful for areas of muscle spasm, tightness and painful neck or back spasms.
Corticosteroid injections: May provide short-term pain relief for certain conditions such as acute flares of arthritis or shoulder impingement.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP): Uses a concentrated portion of your own blood to deliver platelets and growth factors to an area of injury. PRP may be considered for certain tendon, muscle and ligament injuries as well as osteoarthritis.
Capsular hydrodilation: A minimally invasive procedure that can be used for frozen shoulder to help improve range of motion.
Percutaneous needle tenotomy: A minimally invasive technique sometimes used for chronic tendon problems that have not responded to more conservative treatment.
Not every patient needs an injection, and not every injection is appropriate for every condition. The goal is to select the right treatment for the right patient at the right time.
Concussion Care Is Part of Sports Medicine
Not all sports injuries involve a muscle or joint. Concussions require careful evaluation and an individualized plan for recovery and return to activity. Modern concussion management focuses on more than simply “resting until you feel better.” A thorough evaluation can help identify issues involving balance, vision, neck function, exercise tolerance and other symptoms that may need to be addressed.
The Bottom Line
Just like a successful sports team needs more than one play, treating an orthopedic or sports injury often requires more than one tool. Physical therapy, exercise, biomechanics, medications, injections and other procedures can all have a role depending on the individual and the diagnosis.
If you’re dealing with persistent joint, muscle, tendon or sports-related pain, you may not need to go straight to surgery. Our sports medicine clinic at Core Family Practice offers non-operative evaluation and treatment on Wednesdays and Fridays, including diagnostic and ultrasound-guided procedures designed to help keep you moving and get back to the activities you enjoy.
