Get back in the game — with expert diagnosis and treatment
For athletes who love their sports, sudden injuries can be devastating. Rehabilitation means less practice time, fewer games and competitions, and fewer chances to reach your goals and help your team win.
At Riverside Sports Medicine, we understand. Many of us are athletes, too. When you or a teammate is injured, we aim to get you back in the game as quickly and safely as possible. We offer comprehensive sports services — including injury prevention programs, expert exams and personalized treatment and rehab plans.
Identifying what hurts — and helping you heal
If you’ve suffered a sports injury — or something doesn’t feel right after physical activity — our team of specialists will give you a quick, accurate diagnosis.
We treat a wide range of injuries — from bone fractures and joint injuries to overuse injuries, muscle tears and tendon swelling.
Here is a list of common sports injuries and where they hurt:
Head and neck injuries
- Concussions – Mild traumatic brain injuries that occur after a blow to the head or a jolt to the body
- Second Impact Syndrome – A second head injury that someone experiences before completely recovering from the first
- Brachial Plexus Neuropraxia (“Burners” and “Stingers”) – Stinging or burning pain that spreads from shoulders to the hand; caused by injuries to a network of neck nerves that control movement and sensation in the shoulders, arms and hands
Shoulder injuries
- AC ligament injuries – Tears in the ligaments where the shoulder blade connects to the collar bone, called the acromioclavicular (AC) joint; tears cause the collarbone to separate from the shoulder blade
- Dislocations and partial dislocations – The upper arm bone slips out of the socket in the shoulder blade
- Shoulder labrum tears – Tears in the ring of cartilage surrounding the shoulder joint
- Rotator cuff injuries – Problems with the shoulder joint where it holds the upper arm bone in the shoulder socket
Hip injuries
- Hip labrum tears – Tears in the rim of cartilage that surrounds the hip socket
- Sacroiliac (SI) Dysfunction – Inflammation in the joint which connects the hip bones to the triangular bone between the lower back and the tailbone (sacrum); causes lower back, hip and leg pain
Knee injuries
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries – A tear or excessive stretching of the ligament in the middle of the knee that prevents the shin bone from sliding out in front of the thigh bone
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome – Pain in the front of the knee and around the kneecap
- Osgood-Schlatter Disease – Inflammation below the knee common in adolescents
- Patellar Tendinitis (“Jumper’s Knee” or “Runner’s Knee”) – Inflammation of the tendon that attaches the bottom of the kneecap to the top of the shinbone
Leg injuries
- IT band tightness – Tightness in the tendon running along the outside of your leg from the hip to the knee
- Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome/MTSS (Shin splints) – Pain in the front of the lower leg caused by overuse or repetitive stress
Ankle and foot injuries
- Inversion “Lateral” Ankle Sprain – Over-stretched or torn ligaments supporting the ankle because the foot turns inward excessively
- Medial Ankle Sprain –Stretched or torn ligaments in the inside of the ankle because the foot turns outward
- Syndesmotic “Medial” Ankle Sprain (High Ankle Sprain) – Injury to the ligaments and structures connecting the bones of the lower leg
- Plantar Fasciitis – Irritation and inflammation of a strong band of tissue that supports the arch of the foot
- Achilles Tendinitis – Irritation and inflammation of the large tendon that runs down the back of the lower leg
- Achilles Tendon Rupture – A tearing and fraying of the tendon that runs down the back of the lower leg
- Morton’s Neuroma – An injury to the nerve between the toes that causes thickening and pain in the ball of the foot
Back injuries
- Back pain – Pain that develops due to problems with the spinal cord, vertebrae, discs, muscles, ligaments, tendons or nerves in the back
- Lumbar strains – Overstretched or torn ligaments that connect bones in the lower back
- Sacroiliac (SI) Dysfunction – Inflammation in the joint which connects the hip bones to the triangular bone between the lumbar spine and the tailbone; can cause lower back, hip and leg pain (sacrum)
Elbow injuries
- UCL elbow injuries – Inflammation or tears of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), which is located on the inner part of the elbow and attaches the upper arm bone to a forearm bone
- Medial Epicondylitis (Pitcher’s Elbow, Golfer’s Elbow or Javelin Thrower’s Elbow) – Damage to the tendons that bend the wrist toward the palm; causes pain from the elbow to the wrist on the inside (medial) of the elbow
- Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow) – Overuse causing forearm muscles damage
Wherever it hurts, when you have an athletic injury, contact Riverside Sports Medicine. Learn about our comprehensive sports services, from personalized prevention programs to specialized treatments to post-injury rehabilitation.
Riverside Sports Medicine is located throughout the Virginia Peninsula, with offices in Newport News, and Williamsburg.