At Performance Health & Wellness, patients often ask us about non-surgical and non-pharmacological alternatives to help reduce their pain. We are pleased that our clinical staff includes a Sports and Exercise Medicine Physician to consult on all available non-surgical treatment options.
A surgeon is frequently asked to cut open the body part and cut away damaged tissue or insert a screw or plate to limit the movement of the painful joint. But, as with many other treatments, there are no guarantees that surgery will eliminate your pain, and there is always a chance the surgery will make things worse. Sometimes there is no surgical treatment available for the problem you are encountering, and you are left wondering how to deal with the pain. Physicians are happy to prescribe painkillers, but they are often not strong enough to deal with the pain, and if they are strong enough (i.e. an opioid), there is always the risk of dependency. Ultimately, painkillers are a short-term solution and deal only with the symptom, and not with the root cause of the problem.
For decades, injections of cortisone were used by medical doctors to help reduce pain. But the question remained – what do you do if the pain returns? And how often can a person be injected with a steroid to reduce pain? These days, doctors usually suggest no more than 3 injections of cortisone in a year into the spine. In knees, shoulders or elbows, the advice is usually no more than 3 in a lifetime. Research studies are continuing to identify flaws in conventional wisdom regarding cortisone injections for pain and inflammation.
As an alternative to surgery, cortisone injections, and/or strong pain medications, Performance Health & Wellness is very excited to be ahead of the curve in offering safe and effective, physician-delivered alternative treatment right here in our office.
What Sports Medicine Injuries And Conditions Can We Treat?
- Shoulder impingement, rotator cuff tendinitis, shoulder dislocations, AC sprains
- Biceps tendonitis/tears
- Muscle strains, sprains, and cramps
- Elbow pain and tendonitis (i.e., tennis and golfer’s elbow)
- Hip flexor tendonitis, abductor tendonitis, bursitis, snapping hip syndrome, labral tears, impingement
- Runner’s knee (patellofemoral pain), IT band syndrome, meniscal tears, cartilage injuries, ligament injuries
- Shin splints
- Sprained or twisted ankles
- Achilles tendon injuries
- Stress fractures
We also offer Orthopedic Surgery Triaging – Find out if your sports injury may require surgery. Our sports medicine physician is available for rapid consultation to help diagnose and determine if your problem needs surgery.
Regardless of the nature of your sports-related injury, our Sports Medicine physician will develop a customized plan for treatment to get you back to the sport you love safely and quickly. Call our office at (949) 476-1250 to book your appointment.
