Participating in sports can lead to direct trauma injuries that affect your ligaments, cartilage, and soft tissues.

You can also experience long-term damage from sports-related activity due to overuse injuries and stress on your joints. Some activities may increase your risk for degenerative conditions, like arthritis.

Common sports-related injuries include:

• Sprains

• Strains

• Fractures

• Dislocations

Long-term damage from high impact sports can also result in chronic pain and conditions like cervical radiculopathy. This progressive disease causes herniated spinal discs or the growth of bone spurs that compress your nerves and lead to chronic pain, numbness, and loss of mobility.

These injuries can occur from direct trauma from falls or contact with other players. Many people develop injuries due to improper warmup techniques or from not using protective gear.

During your evaluation, your Associated Orthopedists of Detroit PC doctor discusses your medical history and your symptoms. They perform a thorough physical exam of the affected area, identifying tenderness and swelling. Your doctor may also test your strength and flexibility.

To confirm conditions like fractures or a dislocation, you may need X-rays or other imaging tests. These diagnostic tests can also rule out other potential causes of your pain and symptoms.

Once they understand your condition, your Associated Orthopedists of Detroit PC physician creates a custom treatment plan to quickly alleviate your pain and ensure you heal properly, so you can return to your active lifestyle.

Initially, your Associated Orthopedists of Detroit PC physician may recommend rest and ice therapy to alleviate pain from strains and sprains in your soft tissues.

Wrapping the area in a bandage and elevating it above your heart can also control swelling and minimize pain. In some cases, the use of orthotics, like shoe inserts, can improve your mobility and protect you from additional injury.

For fractures, you may need a period of immobilization to let the bone heal. Some fractures may also require surgery to realign bones. Surgery may also be the recommended treatment for recurrent dislocations when other therapies aren't effective.

If you have chronic pain due to cervical radiculopathy, osteoarthritis, or other degenerative condition, the medical team at Associated Orthopedists of Detroit PC may recommend physical therapy, surgery, or viscosupplementation.

This treatment involves injections of hyaluronic acid into the affected joint to reduce friction and help the joint move more freely.

Associated Orthopedists of Detroit PC can also provide advanced therapies using stem cells and platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

By addressing sports-related injuries as soon as possible, you can prevent additional complications. To learn more about the unique sports medicine services at Associated Orthopedists of Detroit PC, call or schedule an appointment online now.

The goal of treating a herniated disc is to keep your pain well-managed and prevent a worsening of your condition.

Initially, you may benefit from physical therapy and at-home exercises to alleviate pain and keep you strong and healthy. Ice and heat therapy can also reduce swelling and control your pain.

If nerve compression due to a herniated disc is severe, your Associated Orthopedists of Detroit PC doctor may refer you for surgery. The skilled surgical team uses minimally invasive techniques to remove the damaged disc and alleviate pressure on the nerve.

While surgery isn't right for everyone with a herniated disc, you can find out if you're a candidate for spine surgery during your consultation.

The medical team at Associated Orthopedists of Detroit PC also offers in-office regenerative medicine therapies using stem cells and platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

This innovative therapy helps to regenerate healthy new cells to replace the damaged ones, offering you long-term relief of pain and increased mobility.

For the treatment of a herniated disc, contact Associated Orthopedists of Detroit PC by phone or schedule an appointment online today.