SPORTS INJURIES

Sports injuries are frustrating because they prevent you from doing the activities you enjoy and are often extremely painful. If you sustain a sports injury, visit board-certified orthopedic surgeons at AZ Ortho in Scottsdale, Arizona. The team specializes in diagnosing and treating sports injuries, restoring function and ensuring optimal healing. To get the treatment you need for effective sports injury recovery, call AZ Ortho or book an appointment online today.

What are sports injuries?

Sports injuries happen when you’re taking part in physical activities, which include training and exercising as well as playing sports. They typically involve damage to the musculoskeletal system, which includes your:

• Bones
• Joints
• Spine
• Ligaments
• Tendons
• Cartilage
• Bursae (fluid-filled sacs in the joints)
• Nerves

Any injury you sustain could put you out of action for weeks or months. Without expert diagnosis and treatment, you might end up with permanent weakness or chronic pain in the affected tissues.

What sports injuries might affect me?

Common sports injuries include: 

• Sprains (ligament damage)
• Strains (muscle or tendon damage)
• Rotator cuff tears in the shoulder
• Labral tears in the shoulder or hip
• Meniscus tears in the knees
• Fractured bones
• Joint dislocations
• Tendonitis 
• Bursitis

These injuries vary in their severity. For example, a sprain could involve overstretching the tissues or result in a complete rupture where the ligament comes away from the bone.

Likewise, stress fractures are a gradual build-up of tiny cracks caused by overuse that result in chronic pain, but a compound fracture exposes bone and tissue, causing severe acute pain and a significant risk of infection.

How are sports injuries treated?

Treating sports injuries requires expert assessment and care. First, the AZ Ortho team examines the injury and asks how you sustained it. They’re likely to order diagnostic imaging procedures such as X-rays, a CT scan, or an MRI to see the damaged tissues in detail.

Following this assessment, your provider recommends the most appropriate treatment, which varies depending on the type and severity of the injury. You need to avoid putting stress on the area but keep your body moving to prevent the soft tissues from weakening and shortening. Physical therapy is invaluable in this regard.

A minor-to-moderate sprain or strain might need taping, splinting, or bracing to keep the area immobilized and allow the tissues to heal. Severe inflammation might require corticosteroid injections, while a fracture may need reduction (bone realignment) and a cast.

Would I need surgery for my sports injury?

Severe injuries that can’t heal properly with conservative treatments might require surgery. The AZ Ortho team specializes in performing procedures to repair sports injuries, including meniscus and labrum repair, rotator cuff repair, and tendon and ligament reconstruction. They often use minimally invasive arthroscopic techniques to minimize tissue damage. The team can also perform fracture repairs and joint replacement surgery for the most serious sports injuries.

To get an expert evaluation of your sports injuries and treatment that restores optimal function, call AZ Ortho or book an appointment online today.