Sports Medicine
Sports Medicine in Fairfax and Arlington, VA
Sports injuries can affect athletes and active individuals of all ages, causing pain, reduced mobility, and difficulty participating in exercise or everyday activities. Sports medicine focuses on diagnosing, treating, and helping prevent injuries involving muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and joints. Dr. Robert Najarian, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in Orthopedic Surgery and Orthopedic Sports Medicine who provides sports injury evaluation and treatment in Fairfax and Arlington, Virginia. He develops individualized treatment plans based on each patient's injury, activity level, and recovery goals.
What is Sports Medicine?
Sports Medicine, also known as sports and exercise medicine (SEM), is a branch of medicine that deals with the treatment and prevention of sports and exercise-related injuries and improving fitness and performance. The main objective of sports medicine is to help individuals engage in sports and exercise in a safe and effective manner to accomplish their training goals.
A sports medicine team may comprise medical and non-medical specialists, such as physicians, surgeons, athletic trainers, physical therapists, sports psychologists, nutritionists, coaches, and personal trainers. Most sports medicine physicians deal with non-operative musculoskeletal conditions. Others are orthopedic surgeons who have decided to focus their practice on the surgical treatment of sports injuries.
Sports medicine is not a medical specialty in itself. Most sports medicine doctors are certified in internal medicine, emergency medicine, family medicine, orthopedics, or another specialty and then acquire additional training with a 2-year fellowship in sports medicine to be certified as a sports medicine specialist.
Who are Sports Medicine Specialist
Sports medicine specialists are medical doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of sports- or exercise-related injuries and illness. A sports medicine specialist focuses on the medical, therapeutic, and functional aspects of exercise and works directly with athletes to improve their overall sports performance. Although sports medicine specialists work exclusively with athletes, the majority will treat anyone who needs treatment for a sports or exercise-related injury.
Sports medicine specialists treat a wide range of physical conditions, including acute traumas such as fractures, sprains, strains, and dislocations. They also treat chronic overuse injuries including tendonitis, degenerative diseases, and overtraining syndrome.
Robert Najarian, M.D.
Dr. Najarian is board-certified in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine. With additional fellowship training in sports medicine and more than 18 years of experience, he specializes in treating the knee, shoulder, and elbow, as well as all sports-related injuries. His area of focus is in the treatment of knee cartilage and ligamentous injury, shoulder instability and rotator cuff repair, and elbow injuries in the throwing athlete (Tommy John Surgery). He has been named a Washingtonian Top Doctor since 2016.
What are Sports Injuries?
Sports injuries are injuries sustained while playing indoor or outdoor sports such as football, basketball, hockey, baseball, and tennis, or while exercising. Sports injuries can result from sports accidents, inadequate training, improper use of protective devices, or insufficient stretching or warm-up exercises. Common sports injuries include bone, muscle, ligament and tendon injuries that commonly involve joints such as the shoulders, knees, hips, ankles and feet.
Some of the common types of sports injuries treated by sports medicine specialists include:
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears
- Rotator Cuff Tears
- Fractures
- Knee cartilage injuries
- Meniscal tears
- Patellar Tendonitis
- Shoulder dislocation
- Shoulder separation
- Sprains and strains
- Tendonitis
- Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
- Nerve compression injuries
- Concussions
Treatment for Sports Injuries
Treatment includes management of bruises, strains and sprains, fractures, dislocations, chronic injuries, torn shoulder ligaments, ACL ligament repair in the knee as well as cartilage and meniscal repairs. Surgery is mostly accomplished by minimally invasive methods and healing is expedited by physical therapy and a rehabilitation program to ensure a quick return to your sporting activities.
The most common non-surgical or conservative treatment recommended for sports injuries include:
- Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation (RICE) Therapy:
- Rest: Avoid activities that may cause injury.
- Ice: Ice packs can be applied to the injured area, which will help to diminish swelling and pain. Ice should be applied over a towel to the affected area for 15-20 minutes, four times a day for several days. Never place ice directly on the skin.
- Compression: Compression of the injured area helps to reduce swelling. Elastic wraps, air casts and splints can accomplish this.
- Elevation: Elevate the injured part above the heart level to reduce swelling and pain.
- Activity Modification: Avoiding activities that trigger symptoms and changing your lifestyle
- Physical Therapy: Regular exercise regimen to improve range of motion and strengthen muscles
- Anti-inflammatory Medication: Meds like naproxen and ibuprofen are used to relieve inflammation and pain.
- Cortisone Injection: If physical therapy, medications, rest, and activity modification do not yield the desired results, then a cortisone injection may be helpful. Cortisone is a very effective anti-inflammatory medicine for conditions such as bursitis and is a long-term pain reliever for tears and structural damage.
Surgical treatment is employed when an individual has sustained serious sports injury by means of a severe fracture, bone displacement, and soft tissue tears not amenable to conservative treatment.
Some of the common surgeries performed on athletes include:
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction
- Rotator cuff repair
- Arthroscopy of knees, shoulders, and ankles
- Shoulder instability surgery
- Tendon repair
- Cartilage restoration
- Fracture repair
- Labral repair
- Biceps tenodesis surgery
Prevention of Sports Injuries
Some of the measures employed and advised by sports medicine specialists to prevent sports-related injuries include:
- Follow an exercise program to strengthen your muscles.
- Gradually increase your exercise level and avoid overdoing the exercise.
- Ensure that you wear properly-fitted protective gear such as elbow guards, eye gear, face masks, mouth guards and pads, comfortable clothes, and athletic shoes before playing any sports activity, which will help reduce the chances of injury.
- Make sure that you follow warm-up and cool-down exercises before and after a sports activity. Exercises will help to stretch the muscles, increase flexibility and reduce soft tissue injuries.
- Avoid exercising immediately after eating a large meal.
- Maintain a healthy diet, which will help to nourish the muscles.
- Avoid playing when you are injured or tired. Take rest breaks after playing.
- Learn all the rules of the game you are participating in.
- Ensure that you are physically fit to play the sport.
Why Choose Dr. Najarian for Sports Medicine in Fairfax and Arlington, VA?
- Board-certified sports medicine expertise: Dr. Najarian is board-certified in Orthopedic Surgery and Orthopedic Sports Medicine, with a focus on musculoskeletal and sports-related injuries.
- Specialized training: He completed his orthopedic residency at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and a sports health fellowship at Cleveland Clinic.
- Comprehensive treatment planning: Recommendations are tailored to the type and severity of the injury, functional needs, and goals for returning to work, exercise, or sports.
- Surgical and nonsurgical considerations: Depending on the condition, treatment planning may include conservative care, rehabilitation, or discussion of appropriate orthopedic surgical options.
- Care for active individuals: Treatment focuses on improving mobility, managing symptoms, and helping patients progress toward their desired activity level.
- Convenient local access: Patients can seek orthopedic sports medicine care in Fairfax and Arlington, Virginia.
Sports Medicine FAQs
A sports medicine orthopedic surgeon evaluates and treats injuries affecting bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These may include ACL tears, meniscus injuries, rotator cuff tears, shoulder instability, cartilage damage, tendon injuries, sprains, and certain fractures. Treatment depends on the specific injury and the patient's needs.
Consider an evaluation if you have persistent pain, swelling, joint instability, reduced range of motion, or difficulty returning to normal activities after an injury. Seek prompt medical attention for severe pain, visible deformity, inability to bear weight, or significant swelling after trauma. Early evaluation can help identify the injury and guide appropriate treatment.
No. Many sports injuries can initially be managed with rest, activity modification, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and other appropriate nonsurgical treatments. Surgery may be considered for certain severe injuries or when symptoms and functional limitations persist despite conservative care.
Recovery depends on the type and severity of the injury, the treatment required, and individual healing. Minor strains may improve within a few weeks, while ligament tears, cartilage injuries, and injuries requiring surgery may take several months or longer. Your treatment team can help establish realistic recovery milestones.
You can reduce injury risk by warming up before exercise, strengthening supporting muscles, using appropriate equipment, learning proper techniques, increasing training intensity gradually, and allowing adequate recovery between sessions. Avoid playing through significant pain or fatigue, and seek evaluation for recurring symptoms.
Return-to-sport timing depends on the injury, treatment, and recovery progress. Before resuming demanding activities, you may need to demonstrate adequate strength, flexibility, balance, joint stability, and sport-specific function. Your orthopedic surgeon and rehabilitation team can help determine when returning to sports is appropriate.
Schedule a Sports Medicine Consultation in Fairfax or Arlington, VA
Whether you have a recent sports injury, recurring joint pain, or difficulty returning to your favorite activities, specialized orthopedic evaluation can help you understand your options. Dr. Robert Najarian provides orthopedic sports medicine care in Fairfax and Arlington, Virginia, for patients with a range of musculoskeletal and sports-related conditions. Schedule a consultation to discuss your symptoms, review potential treatment approaches, and develop a plan focused on restoring function and supporting your recovery goals.
