Sports Medicine
Knee pain? Hamstring strain? When pain or an injury strikes, you deserve the best possible care so you can get back to your normal activities, ache-free – whether that’s gardening or running marathons.
The sports medicine doctors at Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute are renowned for their nonsurgical treatments and internationally recognized for their expertise. They offer advanced care to people of all ages and activity levels for a wide range of injuries and conditions involving the musculoskeletal system (the bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints and other connective tissue).
And when you receive our care, you get more than just injury-specific treatment. Our doctors take the time to get to know you and treat the whole you, considering your lifestyle, your goals, and the rest of your body that may be impacted by your injury or condition. This approach leads to maximum healing and a fuller recovery.
Same-day appointments available.
Why choose us for sports medicine care?
- Always seen by a board-certified, fellowship-trained sports medicine doctor
- Same-day appointments available
- Access to advanced treatments and technologies pioneered through research
- Connected to the most comprehensive care through Charlotte’s only Musculoskeletal Institute, including the region’s top-rated orthopedic program according to U.S. News & World Report
- Part of SpineFirst, the region's leading spine care program.
Injuries and conditions we treat
We treat musculoskeletal injuries and conditions caused by age, everyday activities, work-related movements, competitive sports, intense workouts and more.
- Back and neck pain
- Joint pain
- Foot pain
- Fractures (broken bones)
- Ligament sprains (twists), like an ankle sprain, knee sprain or shoulder sprain
- Muscle or tendon strains (tears or overstretching), like a groin strain, hamstring strain or sports hernia
- Osteoarthritis (wearing down of cartilage)
- Pediatric sports injuries and repetitive (overuse) injuries, like little league elbow (repetitive stress to the elbow ligament), Sever’s disease (repetitive stress to the heel), Osgood-Schlatter disease (repetitive stress to the knee) or spondylolysis (a crack in the spinal column)
- Repetitive (overuse) injuries, like carpal tunnel syndrome (repetitive stress to a nerve in the forearm), plantar fasciitis (repetitive stress to a ligament in the foot) or tendinitis (repetitive stress to a tendon)
- Sciatica (inflammation or injury to a major nerve of the back and legs)
- Sports injuries or conditions, which can include any of the above injuries as well as sports concussions (injury to the brain), rhabdomyolysis (muscle injury), heat illness, stress fractures or sports performance concerns
- Work-related injuries
- Sports concussion
Treatments and procedures
We offer complete sports medicine care, from diagnosis to treatment to follow-up care. Our nonsurgical treatments and procedures include:
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Diagnostic ultrasound:
This is a noninvasive way to evaluate and diagnose soft tissue injuries and conditions, like a rotator cuff tear or hamstring strain.
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Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies:
These are diagnostic tests that measure the response (or electrical activity) of muscles and nerves, usually in an arm or leg. These tests provide information about the health of the muscle or nerve and help us identify the injury or condition, such as a pinched spinal nerve.
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Back and neck injections:
To treat areas of the spine, we offer X-ray-guided injections that deliver anti-inflammatory and/or pain-relieving medications, like steroids and anesthetics. We also offer more advanced injection techniques, like medial branch blocks and radiofrequency ablations.
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Joint injections (including ultrasound-guided injections):
We use injections to treat inflammation and pain in the joints, such as the knees, ankles and fingers. In hard-to-reach areas, like nerves and tendons, we use ultrasound guidance to deliver various types of injections. Common joint injections include steroid injections, “gel” injections (viscosupplementation), regenerative medicine injections and prolotherapy injections.
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Regenerative medicine:
We use a range of techniques and procedures to stimulate cellular repair (or heal damaged tissue), such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and prolotherapy.
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Gait analysis:
This is a diagnostic technique in which you walk or run on a treadmill so we can evaluate different movement patterns. This helps us better understand your injury or condition.
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Casts and splints:
To protect and support fractured bones while they heal, we provide casts and splints.
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Custom orthotics:
We make orthotics (shoe inserts) that are molded just for your feet. They can provide arch support, relieve heel pain and help balance irregular foot movement.
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Physical activity guidance:
We offer recommendations and modifications based on your condition, lifestyle and goals. For example, if you want to get back to a certain running level, we may suggest activities to improve your performance, such as doing more squats and cross-training twice weekly.
Sports Partnerships
We take care of athletes at all levels, from those in recreational sports to pros in the Carolinas and beyond. They rely on us to provide them with the best sports medicine care on the sidelines, in the athletic training room and in our facilities.
We are the official health care provider for the:
We also care for the athletic programs at the following colleges:
And we’re proud to partner with NC and SC high schools and are committed to keeping student-athletes safe on the field, on the court and in everyday life. Our athletic trainers and doctors provide preventative services, clinical diagnoses, sports injury treatments and more:
Interested in event medicine support?
See why our patients choose Atrium Health
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Frequently asked questions
We specialize in the nonsurgical treatment of injuries and conditions involving the musculoskeletal system (the bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints and other connective tissue). We also take care of medical conditions or injuries common to athletics, like concussions, heat illness and performance issues.
Our goal is to treat the injury or condition and then guide patients through the recovery process, minimizing disability, maximizing function, and decreasing time away from sports, work or school. Our treatments include traditional as well as the latest approaches.
Yes. We treat people of all ages, at all activity levels, from children and active seniors to professional athletes and industrial workers. We provide highly personalized treatment plans so you can get back to being physically active and pain-free – whether you’re a weightlifter or a baby lifter.
We’re board certified in a primary care specialty or physical medicine & rehabilitation and are also fellowship trained in sports medicine and interventional pain medicine. We have significant experience working directly with athletes and share this expertise with patients of all activity levels.