Sports Medicine Specialist

What is sports medicine?

Sports medicine is a medical focus on physical activity, exercise, or sports.

Through his training in sports medicine, Dr. Ferro not only works to restore your movement and function after you’ve been injured, but he also helps you optimize your performance and reduce your risk of injury in the future.

Sports-related injuries that Dr. Ferro treats include:

• Fractures
• Shin splints
• Tennis elbow
• Meniscal tears
• Golfer’s elbow
• Patellar tendonitis
• Shoulder instability
• Sprains and strains
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Tendonitis and bursitis
• Shoulder impingement
• Iliotibial band syndrome
• Achilles tendon rupture and repair
• Knee ligament tears and reconstruction (ACL, MCL, PCL, LCL)

Carolina Care provides comprehensive care to people of all ages in preventing, diagnosing and treating injuries related to physical activity and sports participation. Together the health care professionals work with you to emphasize longevity and keep you active and healthy.

What causes a sports injury?

A sports injury can have several causes, but it most commonly has its roots in poor training practices. These types of injuries are usually the result of increasing intensity or duration too quickly, or exercising despite having pain.

Causes of sports injuries include:

• Collision or trauma during high-impact sports
• Landing wrong when your foot hits the ground
• Overuse due to repetitive activities like long-distance running
• Strain due to body architecture issues like uneven legs or flat feet

Participating in certain sports like golf and tennis can also lead to shoulder and elbow injuries due to the repetitive swinging motions they require.

How are sports injuries treated?

Dr. Ferro and his team want to get you back to the activities you love as quickly and safely as possible. At Carolina Care, Dr. Ferro uses digital X-rays and hands-on experience to ensure an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

In most cases, the first step to treating a sports-related injury is the PRICE approach:

• Protecting the injury from further damage
• Resting the injury by limiting activity
• Icing the injury to reduce pain and inflammation
• Compressing the injury with a bandage
• Elevating the injury above your heart to reduce swelling

In addition to the PRICE approach, Dr. Ferro offers noninvasive treatments like physical therapy, medications that reduce pain and inflammation, and sports medicine strategies to minimize future re-injury. In some cases, Dr. Ferro might suggest steroid injections or surgery.

Call Carolina Care or schedule an appointment online to learn more about sports medicine today.