Sports Medical Conditions

Nonsurgical Treatments and Services

Most sports injuries require only non-surgical treatment, such as medications, injections, bracing and physical therapy. From student athletes and weekend warriors to elite athletes and professional teams our sports medicine team offers these services and other nonsurgical treatments for active people:

Occupational and Physical Therapy

Following an injury, orthopedic rehabilitation can relieve pain and help you regain strength, mobility and function for daily activities.

Physical & Occupational Therapy

Injections

For specific injuries corticosteroid injections, trigger point injections, nerve blocks and other injections can relieve pain and swelling.

Concussion Care

A blow or a jolt to the head can cause a concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI). The injury keeps the brain from working normally. Symptoms of a concussion may last several days to a week, or, in some cases, symptoms can linger for weeks to months. Concussions can happen to any athlete in any sport. The short-term effects of a concussion can cause athletes to have difficulty with memory, concentration in school, relating to other kids, or with sleeping. These symptoms can have a significant impact on the day-to-day life of a student athlete.

One grave danger of a concussion can occur when an athlete returns to a game before he or she is fully recovered from a concussion. In such a case, even a mild blow can cause second-impact syndrome, which can lead to brain swelling, brain damage, and even death. If there is any sign of a concussion, an athlete should remain out of play until fully evaluated and treated by a sports medicine specialist.

If you think your athlete has a concussion, the CDC says: Seek medical help at once. Bench your child until a healthcare professional who knows the return-to-play guidelines says it's OK to play. Tell all your child's coaches about any past concussion. Call your health care provider right away or go to the emergency room if you, or someone else, lost consciousness after a blow to the head, or if any of these symptoms occur:

Headache that gets worse and does not go away
Weakness, numbness or decreased coordination
Nausea or vomiting
Slurred speech
Feeling very confused
Feeling very drowsy
Convulsions or seizures

These symptoms could be signs of a serious condition that needs treatment right away. Symptoms of a possible concussion include:

Headache
Vomiting or nausea
Trouble with normal concentration
Memory problems
Trouble walking
Dizziness
Vision problems
Fatigue
Mood changes
Changes in sleep patterns

These symptoms may occur right away. But, some may not start for days or weeks after the injury. An important part of the treatment for a concussion involves plenty of rest, both sleep at night and rest breaks during the day if needed. Your doctor will tell you to avoid certain physical activities and sports while you recover, and may suggest medication to take if you have a headache. If your symptoms don't go away in a few days or if they get worse, you may need to see a doctor who specializes in concussion management.

Sprains and Strains

If you've sprained your ankle, you know what severe pain is. But maybe that "sprain" was a "strain" or possibly even a "break." The amount of pain in each case can be virtually equal. So, oftentimes the only way to find out what you have is to see a healthcare provider.

Sprains are a stretch and/or tear of a ligament, the tissue connecting 2 bones. Ligaments stabilize and support the body's joints. For example, ligaments in the knee connect the upper leg with the lower leg. This lets you walk and run. Strains are a twist, pull and/or tear of a muscle and/or tendon. Tendons are cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones. Breaks are a fracture, splinter or complete break in bone, often caused by accidents, sports injuries or bone weakness. A sprain is caused by an injury that stresses a joint and overstretches or even ruptures supporting ligaments. This can happen from a fall, twist, or blow to the body.

Typical symptoms of strain include:

Pain
Muscle spasm
Muscle weakness
Swelling
Inflammation
Cramping

In severe strains, the muscle and/or tendon is partially or completely ruptured, resulting in serious injury. Some muscle function will be lost with a moderate strain, in which the muscle/tendon is overstretched and slightly torn. With a mild strain, the muscle or tendon is stretched or pulled, slightly. These are some common strains:

Back strain. This happens when the muscles that support the spine are twisted, pulled, or torn. Athletes who engage in excessive jumping - during basketball or volleyball, for example - are at risk for this injury.
Hamstring muscle strain. This is when a major muscle in the back of the thigh tears or stretches. The injury can sideline a person for up to 6 months. The likely cause is muscle strength imbalance between the hamstrings and the quadriceps, the muscles in the front of the thigh.

A severe sprain or strain may need surgery or immobilization, followed by physical therapy. Mild sprains and strains may need rehab exercises and a change in activity during recovery.

In all but mild cases, your health care provider should evaluate the injury and establish a treatment and rehab plan. Meanwhile, rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE) usually will help minimize damage caused by sprains and strains. Start RICE right away after the injury RICE relieves pain, limits swelling, and speeds healing. It's often the best treatment for soft-tissue injuries, like sprains and strains. Here's what to do:

Rest. Move the injured area as little as possible to allow healing to begin.
Ice. Apply ice right away to reduce inflammation, which causes more pain and slows healing. Cover the injured area with an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel for about 15 to 20 minutes, 3 to 4 times a day.
Compression. Using a pressure bandage helps prevent or reduce swelling. Use an elastic bandage. Wrap the injured area without making it so tight that it will cut off the blood supply.
Elevation. Raise the injured area above the level of the heart. Prop up a leg or arm while resting it. You may need to lie down to get your leg above your heart level.

Do all 4 parts of the RICE treatment at the same time. If you think you have a more serious injury, like a broken bone, call your healthcare provider right away. Prevention. No one is immune to sprains and strains. But here are some tips to help reduce your risk for injury:

Take part in a conditioning program to build muscle strength.
Do stretching exercises every day.
Always wear shoes that fit properly.
Nourish your muscles by eating a well-balanced diet.
Warm up before any sports activity, including practice, and use or wear protective equipment that's right for that sport.

Fractures

A fracture is a partial or complete break in the bone. When a fracture happens, it is classified as either open or closed:

Open fracture (also called compound fracture). The bone exits and is visible through the skin, or a deep wound that exposes the bone through the skin.
Closed fracture (also called simple fracture).The bone is broken, but the skin is intact.

The following are the most common symptoms of a fracture. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

Pain in the injured area
Swelling in the injured area
Obvious deformity in the injured area
Difficulty using or moving the injured area in a normal manner
Warmth, bruising, or redness in the injured area

Sports medicine services

Our sports medicine providers help ensure safe sports participation with services that include:

Pre-participation physicals to ensure that student athletes are fit to play and if they are not we recommend exercise programs to bring them to that level.
Injury prevention and rehabilitation programs – We work with athletic trainers at many regional schools to implement injury prevention and on-site post-injury rehabilitation programs.
Sideline evaluation of athletes injured during play
Personalized return-to-play pathways for each person and each injury
Support and advice for local and regional walking and running clubs, including the Hartford Marathon Foundation, to help these folks stay healthy and active

Orthopedic Sports Medicine Surgery

Sometimes nonsurgical treatment may be ineffective or your initial injury may be more serious and require surgical repair. If you need surgery, our experienced fellowship trained orthopedic surgeons offer advanced minimally invasive arthroscopic and open surgical techniques.

Most of our surgeries are outpatient procedures, so you can go home the same day. Your surgeon will discuss options with you to determine both the right procedure and the right place for your specific injury and needs.

Minimally invasive surgery

Minimally invasive techniques typically use a few small incisions rather than a long incision. With these procedures, you may experience less pain, a lower risk of complications and a shorter recovery time.

Minimally invasive procedures available at the Connecticut Sports Medicine Institute:

Arthroscopy: Our surgeons use a scope (a thin instrument with a tiny camera) and other miniature instruments to examine and treat tissue inside joints. We use arthroscopy to treat a wide range of injuries in almost every joint in the body.
Percutaneous fracture fixation: Some sports related fractures may require surgery and hardware to align and connect bones. Surgeons make small incisions and reposition the pieces of bone using imaging to guide them. They attach screws, rods or other hardware to hold bones in place. Occasionally, these procedures can be assisted using arthroscopic techniquies.

Open surgery

For some injures, open (traditional) surgery, usually with one incision, can provide more effective treatment. At the Connecticut Sports Medicine Institute at Saint Francis and Trinity Health Of New England, we perform open surgery for:

Joint replacements: Some chronic sports injures can lead to late joint deterioration over time and require joint replacement surgery including hips, knees and shoulders. Learn more about joint replacement surgery and the Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute (CJRI).
Revision surgery: Our fellowship trained surgeons perform revision surgeries using open techniques to address complications that might have developed after a previous surgery. This would include, for example, revision of a failed anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
Tendon and ligament repair: Certain tendon and ligament injuries require open surgery. Surgeons may repair, reconstruct or reattach tendons or ligaments to bones and muscles.
Fracture repair: Displaced fractures may require open surgery to reposition bones and place hardware to stabilize them for proper healing.
Hand surgery: Our fellowhip trained hand surgeons working at the Connecticut Sports Medicine Institute at Saint Francis and Trinity Health Of New England perform open hand surgery to repair sports-related hand injuries.
Foot and ankle surgery: Our fellowhip trained foot and ankle specialists perform open surgery to repair sports-related hand injuries.