Sports Medicine

Sports injuries are common and can occur throughout your body to bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments and other structures. You can treat many minor injuries at home with rest, ice, compression, elevation and over-the-counter pain medications. But some injuries require medical treatment, such as immobilization, physical therapy, or surgery.

A person dressed in athletic gear crouches down on a running track, holding their lower leg with a pained expression. They are wearing a yellow tank top, dark shorts, colorful running shoes, a fitness tracker, and an armband for a device.

What Are the Most Common Sports Injuries?

Broken bone: A broken bone (bone fracture) can happen when sudden force is applied to a bone.

Cartilage tear: Cartilage is a tough but flexible shock absorber that covers and protects the ends of some bones. Cartilage injuries can occur in joints such as your knee and shoulder.

Concussion: A concussion is a brain injury caused by a bump or blow to your head. (Link to Concussion page)

Dislocation: Dislocation occurs when the end of a bone moves out of its normal position in a joint. For example, if your shoulder pops out of its socket, it’s dislocated.

Tendinitis: Tendinitis occurs when your tissues that connect muscles to bones (tendons) become swollen and inflamed. It’s caused by repetitive movements over time. An example is jumper’s knee (patellar tendonitis).

Sprains: A sprain happens when a ligament stretches too much or tears. Ligaments connect bones and stabilize joints. These injuries can be mild or severe, and they’re common in your ankle, knee and wrist.

Strains: A strain occurs when you overextend a muscle, and it stretches or tears. Examples include hamstring strain, back strain and abdominal strain.

Sports Medicine Services

The physicians provide team and game coverage for the Colorado Eagles hockey team, area high schools, and dozens of rodeo competitions, as well as team physicians for Colorado State University’s sports teams.