Sports medicine
Duke's sports medicine specialists are internationally recognized for the treatment and rehabilitation of sports injuries. If a sports injury or medical condition has sidelined you from your favorite activity, our sports medicine experts in Raleigh and Durham use the most advanced methods to evaluate and treat injuries in professional, nonprofessional and recreational athletes of all ages. Our goal is returning you to an active lifestyle. Experts in our sports performance programs study the causes and prevention of injury, apply the findings directly to your care, and use the latest techniques to enhance your performance.
Nationally ranked leader in sports injury treatment
Our sports medicine specialists treat joint sprains and strains, arthritis, fractures, tendonitis and bursitis. These common overuse and misuse injuries typically put weekend athletes, local youth sports participants and elite professional athletes on the disabled list. We also treat sports-related medical conditions, including asthma, concussion, athletic-induced amenorrhea and overtraining syndrome. Our sports medicine doctors tailor exercise and treatment programs to meet your unique needs and help you make a complete recovery.
Choose sports medicine at Duke because we offer:
- Maximized sports performance. If you’re looking to maximize your athletic performance, we can help you achieve your goals. Our team offers testing in agility, speed, power, strength, stamina, flexibility, body composition and endurance. It’s all designed to improve athletic performance and prevent injury for all ages and all levels.
- 24-hour access. If you need orthopedic care fast due to pain or injury we offer 24-hour access to appointments. In many cases, a orthopaedic provider may see you the same day you call for an appointment. Learn more about obtaining an appointment within the next 24 hours.
- Orthopaedic urgent care. If you need immediate care for an injury, Duke Orthopaedics Urgent Care offers orthopaedic-specific care at two convenient locations seven days a week. You will experience the convenience of fast service with no long waits and no unnecessary exposure to sick people.
- International accreditation and recognition. Duke Sports Medicine is one of just three U.S.-based Medical Centers of Excellence of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), sponsor of the World Cup soccer championship. The program is one of only 22 worldwide for professional soccer players. Plus, our orthopaedic program is consistently ranked as one of the top in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
- Historical success. Our program has benefited patients with sports injuries for more than seven decades. We have been the training ground for hundreds of sports medicine doctors around the country.
- A team approach. Our orthopaedic surgeons, nonoperative orthopaedists, primary care physicians, reconstructive plastic surgeons, radiologists, physician assistants, physical therapists, orthopaedic nurses, sports performance specialists, and athletic trainers work together so you receive the most appropriate and effective treatment in one convenient location.
- Help for young athletes. Our skilled pediatric orthopaedic specialists diagnose and treat children injured during activity. Through our community outreach program, members of our team also work with athletes from select high schools and middle schools in Durham, Orange and Wake counties to help them achieve their personal best while avoiding injury. Our physical therapists work with Duke athletic teams throughout the school year. We also have sports medicine doctors on-field at many Duke athletic games.
- Extensive experience with women’s injuries. Sports injuries can impact women differently than men. Preventing sports injuries is our goal, and knowing how gender impacts the body is our specialty. We are skilled and trained to diagnose and treat female-specific injuries when they occur. That’s important, whether you are working toward a college scholarship, an Olympic hopeful, or a senior resuming a walking program after fracture.
- Sport-specific physical therapy. Sports-specific care allows our therapists to quickly and accurately determine the cause of your pain and design targeted rehabilitation programs and exercises for your injury. Our physical therapy and sports medicine staffs are completely integrated, which means you receive your physical therapy sessions on the same day as your clinic visit.
- PATIENT STORY
Pain-free after shoulder and knee surgery“My shoulder healed very quickly. I was literally out of the sling in three days and had almost full mobility." - PATIENT STORY
Shoulder surgery helps swimmer prepare for Olympic trials"My shoulder is close to 100 percent and I’m back to the intensity and volume I had before the injury."
SPORTS MEDICINE
Treatments
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Effective treatments for sports injuries include bracing, inflammatory medications, physical therapy, and ultrasound-guided injections of corticosteroids, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and stem cells.
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When conservative measures aren’t enough, we offer the full spectrum of orthopaedic procedures, including surgery, to treat foot or ankle pain, hip and knee replacement, knee sprains or tears, and shoulder and elbow injuries, such as tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow.
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Whenever possible, we use a minimally invasive approach to surgery, which relies on tiny cameras and small incisions, to treat joint injuries, including ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tears, shoulder instability and rotator cuff injuries. This means less pain and a faster, easier recovery for you.
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Our certified therapists educate you about your injury, assess your current function, and design a personalized prescription for exercises to get you back on track and/or to restore strength and function after surgery. You’ll have access to a fully equipped gym, including isokinetic exercise equipment, isotonic weight machines, plyometric training tools and a heated therapeutic pool.
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Once physical therapy is completed, you may continue your exercise program in our facilities for up to four months. For a reasonable fee, patients can access all sports medicine equipment, including the therapeutic pool, and begin to transition to an independent exercise program for health and wellness.
SPORTS MEDICINE
Tests
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Our doctors use X-rays, fluoroscopy, stress radiography and advanced technologies, including ultrasound, MRI and CT scans, to better understand your injury or condition.
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Our sports medicine specialists offer neurocognitive tests to accurately assess you for concussion. That helps us better manage your recovery so you can return to the playing field quickly with no long-term effects.
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Through the Michael W. Krzyzewski Human Performance Lab at the Duke Sports Science Institute, known as the “K-Lab,” you will be offered specialized tests to evaluate your agility, speed, power, strength, stamina, flexibility, body composition and the ability of your body to use oxygen during exercise (VO2 max). You’ll receive a biomechanical assessment of your functional needs, including gait (running/walking), sports and work activities, allowing us to design a training or rehabilitation program precisely suited to your needs.