Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Sports Medicine

Sports injuries are common occurrences. Whether you play as a hobby or are an elite collegiate or professional athlete, chances are you may have experienced some type of sports related physical strain or injury. 

Penn Medicine treats a full range of sports injuries. Our goal is simple — to help our patients get back in the game as quickly as possible.

Common Types of Sports Injuries Treated by Physiatrists

Our team of physical therapy experts treat a wide range of injuries and disabilities, and are committed to restoring function, optimizing potential and seeking the best outcome possible for patients.

Common sports injuries and conditions treated include:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and other ligament injuries
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Upper limb problems in throwing athletes
• Special needs of runners
• Special needs of golfers
• Meniscal tears
• Concussions
• Ankle sprains
• Knee injuries
• Hip pain
• Elbow injuries
• Overuse injuries
• Achilles tendon injuries
• Fractures
• Dislocations
• Shin splints
• Foot disorders such as stress fractures or plantar fasciitis

How Our Full Spectrum of Services Treat Sports Injuries

Treatment at Penn Medicine is always unique to the individual. Each patient is provided a specific diagnosis and individualized treatment. Kinetic chain and biomechanical analyses are integrated into the patient's care to analyze body movement. This approach allows for rehabilitation of the entire neuromuscular system aimed at preventing future injury.

The fundamental concept of our program is reliance on passive modalities, concentration on reactivation of the patient to the fullest extent possible, and avoidance of surgery whenever possible. This approach provides the least invasive therapy to achieve the best possible outcome.

Common Treatments for Sports Injuries

Common treatments for sports injuries include:

• Medication and injections
• Arthroscopy of the shoulder, knee, hip, wrist and ankle
• Minimally-invasive and microsurgery techniques
• Ligament repair and cartilage transplantation
• Joint replacement
• Physical therapy
• Training to prevent re-injury

Leading the Way in Research

In addition to providing the highest level of patient care, Penn sports medicine physicians are at the forefront of research related to athletic injury and recovery. The research done at the Penn Sports Medicine Center is widely published creating a continuous stream of evidence-based medicine.