Sports Medicine

Specialists in Orthopedic Sports Medicine at Conway Medical Center

Our sports medicine experts know that whether you are a competitive athlete, have a physically strenuous job, or simply enjoy an evening stroll after dinner, an injury can affect not only you but your teammates, coworkers, and the family members who depend on you.

We know you don’t want to be sidelined for long. That is why our sports medicine experts will work with you to set goals and outline a treatment plan to get you back to your active lifestyle.

We offer a full spectrum of sports performance training and sports medicine care including prevention, diagnosis and treatment of non-operative sports-related injuries for athletes of all ages and lifestyles. When further intervention is necessary, orthopedic surgery, rehabilitation and physical therapy are available.

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Sports Injuries

Runners, joggers, baseball players, golfers, dancers, and gymnasts are all prone to sports injuries; however, sports injuries are not limited to athletes – anyone may obtain a sports injury. But, for those who frequently participate in physically demanding activities, it can be very frustrating to get injured.

Sports injuries are often a combination of cartilage, ligament, tendon, and muscle damage – whether it be a ligament tear or partial tear or a sprain. Don’t let the pain from the injury persist; the longer you wait to receive help, the more damage you may cause to the injured area and the longer it will take for you to get back to the sport you love.

What Can Cause a Sports Injury?

Accidents, trips, falls, sprains, and strains happen for a variety of reasons. Here is a list of a few common causes:

Overuse injury
Over-training
Poor technique
Improper use of equipment
Unsafe training/exercise environment

Sport Injury Symptoms

Generally, a sports injury is quite apparent is showing symptoms. It is often a cause of a traumatic event, however, injuries can also happen over a long period of time. Symptoms athletes and fitness enthusiasts should look out for include:

Sudden pain
Swelling
Muscle soreness
Tender joints
unable to place weight on leg or foot
Inability to stretch fully

Common Conditions

Bursitis
Bursitis is a painful swelling of a small sac of fluid called a bursa. Bursae cushion and lubricate areas where tendons, ligaments, muscles, or bones rub against each other. People who repeat the same movement over and over or who put continued pressure on a specific joint in their jobs, sports, or daily activities have a greater chance of getting bursitis.
Bursitis is most common in the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee. Bursitis may also occur near the Achilles tendon or in the foot. Bursitis usually causes a dull pain, tenderness, and stiffness near the affected bursa. The bursa may swell and make the skin around it red and warm to the touch.
Cartilage and Meniscus Tears
Fractures
A fracture is a break of bone or cartilage, often with accompanying damage to the surrounding soft tissues. Fractures occur when the force applied to a bone exceeds its strength. An injury or trauma is the most frequent cause, but conditions that weaken the bone, such as osteoporosis, tumors or infection can make the bone prone to breaking.
A fracture can occur to any bone in the body. Some common bones broken during sports are wrists, arms, collar bones, ribs, and ankles.
Joint Instability and Dislocations
Knee Ligament Injuries
There are four major ligaments in the knee. Ligaments are elastic bands of tissue that connect bones to each other and provide stability and strength to the joint.
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most common ligament to be injured. The ACL is often stretched or torn during a sudden twisting motion. Skiing, basketball, and football are sports that have a higher risk of ACL injuries.
The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is also a common ligament to become injured in the knee. However, the PCL injury usually occurs with sudden, direct impact, such as in a car accident or during a football tackle.
The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is injured more often than the lateral collateral ligament (LCL.) Stretch and tear injuries to these ligaments are usually caused by a blow to the outer side of the knee, such as when playing hockey or football.
Rotator Cuff Tears
Your rotator cuff consists of muscles and tendons that hold your shoulder in place. It is one of the most important parts of your shoulder. Your rotator cuff allows you to lift your arms and reach up.
Symptoms may include pain that keeps coming back, muscle weakness, limited ability to move your arm, and grinding sounds when moving it. Treatment will depend on your symptoms, age, and general health and will also depend on how severe the condition is.
Sprains and Strains
Sprains and strains are among the most common injuries in sports. A sprain is a stretch or tear of a ligament that connects one bone to another bone. A sprain is caused by direct or indirect trauma like a fall or a blow to the body that knocks a joint out of position, and overstretches or ruptures the supporting ligaments.
You can strain any muscle in your body. A strain occurs when your muscle stretches beyond its normal range of motion or when you put more load on the muscle than it’s strong enough to handle. When this happens, the muscle fibers tear resulting in a pulled muscle.
Tendonitis
Tendons are strong cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones. Tendonitis refers to when a tendon is inflamed, sometimes causing swelling, pain, discomfort, and a grinding sensation. It can happen to any tendon in the body.
Tendonitis can be caused by strain, overuse, injury or too much exercise. Over time, it can lead to partial tendon tearing and tendon damage.
Tennis or Golfer’s Elbow
Tennis or Golfer’s elbow is a painful overuse injury that causes inflammation of the muscle on the inside of the elbow. The pain from this form of tendonitis runs from the bony point of your elbow into your forearm.
Although it’s one of the more common sports injuries, it doesn’t only happen to athletes. Activities that include repetitive forearm movement — such using a screwdriver, digging in the garden, or painting — can also cause tendonitis.

Need an Orthopaedic Expert?

Meet Our Providers

Expert Sports Medicine Care in Myrtle Beach and Conway

When you experience a sports injury or any orthopaedic injury, getting out of pain and back to doing what you do best is at the top of the list. The fellowship-trained specialists at CMC are at the forefront of innovation and the most current treatment techniques. We know how important it is to you to get back to work or back in the game as soon as possible. Therefore, we offer a wide range of surgical and nonsurgical treatments personalized for you to do just that.

Dr. Donovan Johnson

Fellowship trained in Sports Medicine: Shoulder, Elbow, Hip, and Knee Arthroscopy at The Steadman Clinic, Steadman-Philippon Research Institute, Vail CO

Dr. Johnson is a board-eligible orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee. He also has advanced training in orthopaedic trauma and fracture care and joint replacement surgery. He focuses on the prevention and treatment of orthopaedic conditions affecting patients of all ages. Dr. Johnson has specific interests in treating ligament, tendon, and cartilage injuries of the shoulder, hip, and knee. Dr. Johnson has additional training in treating complex disorders of the hip which includes non-surgical and surgical treatment of femoroacetabular impingement, hip preservation, and extra-articular tendon injuries involving the hip.

Dr. W. Brad Dosher

Fellowship trained in Sports Medicine: Knee and Shoulder Arthroscopy at Vanderbilt University

Dr. W. Brad Dosher is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and shoulder surgery. Born and raised in Amarillo Texas, Dr. Dosher graduated Summa Cum Laude from Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. He received his MD from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine and completed his Orthopedic Surgery Residency at the UT Health Science Center at Houston. Dr. Dosher completed his Sports Medicine and Shoulder Fellowship at Vanderbilt University. He completed specialized training in minimally invasive knee and shoulder arthroscopy, as well as complex injuries to the shoulder and knee.

Dr. Jason Sharp

Fellowship trained in Non-operative Sports Medicine from University of South Carolina

Dr. Sharp is a double-boarded Primary Care Sports Medicine physician who specializes in non-operative sports medicine, concussions, and orthobiologics. He focuses on the prevention and treatment of orthopedic conditions affecting patients of all ages. Dr. Sharp uses his specialized training in ultrasound guidance and biologic treatments to give people alternatives to surgery.