Sports Medicine Specialist

What is sports medicine?

Sports medicine providers like Dr. Mejia care for athletes of all types. While sports medicine primarily focuses on treating injuries and managing recovery, the field also emphasizes preventive practices to avoid injury and general health management for athletes. 

Dr. Mejia has extensive experience with the unique needs and goals of both casual and professional athletes. He's the head physician for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers minor league baseball team, a team physician for the Milwaukee Brewers, and a former team physician for the Seattle Mariners. He treats many individual athletes at Sports Medicine Center as well. 

What types of injuries do sports medicine doctors treat?

At Sports Medicine Center, Dr. Mejia and the team treat all types of orthopedic sports injuries involving the musculoskeletal system. Some of the most common sports injuries are:

• Knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear
• Collateral ligament injuries
• Knee meniscus tear
• Knee instability
• Hamstring strains
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Shoulder instability
• Ankle sprains
• Tendinitis, such as tennis elbow and Achilles tendinitis
• Tendon tears or ruptures
• Elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear
• Sports hernia (athletic pubalgia)
• Shin splints
• Hamstring injuries
• Turf toe

Sports injuries may happen suddenly or build up over a long period, but symptoms can sideline you in either case. 

When does an injury require sports medicine care?

The general rule for sports injuries is that it's better to seek medical care sooner rather than later. As an athlete, you're particularly vulnerable to worsening any injury because of your high physical activity level. 

If you experience an injury, whether it's an obvious traumatic injury or something as simple as a clear change in your accuracy or power, it's best to schedule an evaluation at Sports Medicine Center before the issue can worsen.

How are sports injuries treated?

At Sports Medicine Center, Dr. Mejia and the team perform an all-encompassing physical evaluation, medical history, and symptoms assessment. Most sports injuries require diagnostic imaging, such as an X-ray, CT scan, ultrasound, or MRI, to assess the problem in depth. They use all of this information to personalize your recovery plan.

Your treatment may include nonsurgical interventions to start, such as bracing, rest, physical therapy, medication, and corticosteroid injections. 

Some injuries require surgery, with common sports surgeries at Sports Medicine Center including Tommy John elbow surgery, surgery for knee instability, rotator cuff surgery, meniscus surgery, and surgery for shoulder instability. 

Dr. Mejia and the team have extensive experience in both joint preservation surgery and rehabilitation, which is why they're the premier experts in returning athletes to their peak level of performance. 

For the best in sports injury care, call Sports Medicine Center or book your appointment online now.