Sports Injury Treatment Options

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• Physical Therapy

  Physical therapists work with patients to develop a custom exercise plan that will help to manage pain and move them quickly to recovery. Learn more.

• Occupational Therapy

  When an injury keeps patients from performing daily activities, occupational therapists work with patients to improve function and learn techniques to manage daily activities. Learn more.

• Acupuncture

  Acupuncture is a treatment method aimed at eliciting a response (such as pain relief) through insertion of very fine needles in the body surface at sites called acupuncture points. A related technique called acupressure (or shiatsu) uses pressure on these points; a related therapy known as electroacupuncture applies electricity to the points. Learn more.

• Massage Therapy

  Massage is most commonly used to relieve muscular tension and promote relaxation.  Massage can stimulate circulation, improve range of motion and aid in the healing process. It can also be helpful as an aid to the treatment of various conditions, including low back pain, spinal cord injuries and arthritis, among other conditions. Learn more.

• Yoga and Meditation

  The principle use for yoga is for increasing strength, balance and flexibility as well as reducing tension and stress. Yoga is an exercise system derived from ancient traditions in India. Many of the postures of yoga function as gentle stretching exercises, increasing flexibility. Others encourage the development of strength and balance. Learn more about yoga.

  Through meditation people can use controlled breathing techniques and guided imagery to achieve relaxation. Learn more about meditation.

• Chiropractic Care

  Chiropractic care is one of the most widely used health services today and it has gained increasing acceptance as a treatment for back and neck pain. Chiropractic spinal manipulation is widely used for the treatment of back pain, neck pain, and headaches, whether acute or chronic. It is also frequently tried for pain in other areas, such as the shoulders, knees, and jaw, as well as for many other conditions. Learn more.

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• ACL surgery or reconstruction

  An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a tear in the ACL ligament. The ACL is located in the middle of the knee joint and connects the lower leg bone to the thigh bone. It stabilizes the knee by preventing the thigh bone from sliding too far forward at the knee. Surgery for ACL injuries involves reconstructing or repairing the ACL. Surgeons can repair the ACL using a part of a tendon in the knee. The graft is threaded through holes drilled in the lower leg (tibia) and the upper leg bone (femur). Following surgery new blood vessels grow into the tendon enabling it to function like the original ligament before it was damaged. This surgery is often performed arthroscopically, through tiny incisions and usually does not require hospitalization. Learn more about this condition and treatment options.

• Arthroscopic joint surgery

  Arthroscopic joint surgery may be used for surgery of the knee, shoulder or hip. A special tool called an arthroscope is used. It is an instrument that looks like a long tube with a miniature camera on the end and is used to see, diagnose, and treat problems inside your joint. Arthroscopic surgery is most often performed to diagnose an injury or disease inside a joint, remove bone or cartilage, and repair tendons or ligaments. Learn more.

• Allografting

  Allografting uses tissue from a donor to repair an injury during surgery.

• Autografting

  Autografting uses your own tissue from another part of your body to repair an injury during surgery.

• OATS

  The OATS procedure, or osteoarticular transfer system, is a surgical procedure used to treat focal cartilage defects. This procedure uses cartilage from undamaged areas of the joint to repair the damaged area. This treatment is only used for isolated areas of cartilage damage, about 10-22 mm in size. Widespread damage, as seen in conditions such as osteoarthritis, cannot be treated with this procedure.

• High Tibial Osteotomy

  In a high tibial osteotomy the bone of the upper tibia is cut and repositioned. Knee osteotomy is commonly used to realign your knee structure if you have damage on only one side of your knee. Surgeons remove a section of your shin bone under the healthy side of the knee, which causes you to shift your body weight off the damaged area to the other side of your knee, where the cartilage is still healthy.

• Meniscus Surgery

  Meniscus is cartilage in the knee joint, which separates the thigh bone (femur) from the lower leg bone (tibia). It helps to stabilize and cushion the knee. In meniscus surgery, a worn section of the meniscus is replaces with new tissue from a donor. A meniscectomy is the removal of all or part of the cartilage. Learn more.

• Ulnar Collateral (UCL) Reconstruction

  The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is a fibrous band of tissue that brings stability to the elbow. UCL reconstruction involves replacing the damaged ligament in the elbow with tissue from another part of the body or a donor. This procedure is also called “Tommy John” surgery after a baseball pitcher who underwent this surgery.

• Articular Cartilage Implantation

  Articular cartilage is the smooth, white tissue that covers the ends of bones where they come together to form joints. With articular cartilage implantation (ACI), surgeons take a small amount of cartilage from your body through a tiny incision, grow new cartilage cells and then implant them to fill gaps caused by injury to the knee. Over a few months, these cells re-create lost surface cartilage. This procedure, also known as autologous cartilage implant or Carticel, is only recommended for patients with limited knee damage (2-10 cm) and are otherwise in good health.

• Subacromial Decompression

  Shoulder bursitis is inflammation of a bursa, oftentimes brought on by overuse through repetitive motion or a blow from contact sports. A bursa is a thin, slippery piece of tissue that protects tendons, the tissues that connect muscles to bones. Subacromial decompression is an arthroscopic procedure used to treat shoulder bursitis. In this procedure, small instruments inserted through tiny incisions to remove the inflamed bursa. Once the bursa is removed, the rotator cuff is examined to look for any possible tears. Depending on the bone above the rotator cuff, a burr may be used to remove some bone to create more space for the rotator cuff tendons.