Patient Story
Sports Medicine
Our Approach to Sports Medicine Services
The field of sports medicine involves the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of injuries related to sports or physical activity. But you don't have to be an athlete to seek care from the Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) sports medicine program. We treat people of all different ages and fitness levels — from professional athletes to weekend warriors to everyday active people — helping you relieve pain and participate in the activities you love to the best of your ability.
Excellence in Sports Medicine
The sports medicine team at MOR includes physicians, physiatrists, concussion experts, pain management specialists, physical therapists, and others. Working together, we expertly diagnose and treat injuries, abnormalities, and degenerative conditions of the knee, shoulder, hip, back, wrist, ankle, and more. Our goal is to help you get back to an active, pain-free life as quickly and safely as possible, and we have the experience and proficiency to deliver results. Whether you're suffering from tennis elbow, cartilage damage, a stress fracture, a torn ligament, or a more complex condition, our team can often see paths to recovery and provide solutions when others can't.
Comprehensive Care
Our sports medicine providers aim to help you avoid surgery, using nonsurgical therapies when appropriate, such as biologic treatments like platelet-rich plasma (PRP). When surgery is needed, our surgeons are nationally recognized leaders in arthroscopic and minimally invasive knee, hip, elbow, and shoulder surgeries. We’ll only recommend surgery if it’s truly needed, so you can feel confident that it’s the right option for you.
What We Do
- Achilles tendon injury
- Acromioclavicular (AC) joint injury
- ACL tear
- Broken collarbone (Clavicle Fracture)
- Bursitis
- Cartilage injury
- Dislocated finger
- Dislocated hip
- Dislocated knee
- Dislocated shoulder
- Femoroacetabular impingement
- Fracture
- Frozen shoulder
- Golfer’s elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)
- Jumper’s knee (Patellar Tendonitis)
- Labrum Tear
- Muscle Sprain
- Muscle Strain
- Patellar Tendon Rupture
- Pelvis Injuries
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Rotator Cuff Tears
- Runner’s Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome)
- Shoulder Impingement
- Stress Fracture
- Tendinopathy
- Tendonitis
- Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
- Torn Meniscus
- Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) Tear
- ACL reconstruction
- Arthroscopy cartilage repair
- Ligament surgery
- Medial Patella-Femoral Ligament (MPFL) reconstruction
- Meniscus removal surgery (Meniscectomy)
- Meniscus repair
- Osteotomy
- Physical therapy
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
- Rotator cuff repair
- Stem cell therapy
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS)
- Tommy John surgery (Ulnar Collageral Ligament Reconstruction)
- Total shoulder arthoplasty
- Arthrogram
- Bone Scan
- CT Scan
- Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Study
- Fluoroscopy
- MRI
- Ultrasound
- X-Ray
Women’s Sports Medicine
The Women’s Sports Medicine Program at Rush helps women of all activity levels achieve optimal health and performance. We take a comprehensive approach to care for recreational and competitive female athletes, with the goal of providing accurate diagnoses, state-of-the-art treatments, rehabilitation services to restore full function, and injury prevention strategies to help optimize performance for the long term.
Pediatric Sports Medicine
Seeking the care of a Sports Medicine specialist can also be beneficial for children and teens. As more young athletes participate in year-round, organized sporting activities, injuries are on the rise. Our physicians specialize in treating the unique injuries and conditions experienced by young athletes, and we are highly experienced in communicating with young patients to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment. Learn more about Pediatric Sports Medicine at MOR, including common injuries and conditions, our treatment philosophy, and our team of physicians.
Elite Care for Athletes of All Levels
The sports medicine specialists at MOR are the official orthopedic providers for some of the world’s greatest athletes, whose livelihoods depend on performing at peak physical fitness. The Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Red Stars, Joffrey Ballet, DePaul University, and many other local colleges, high schools, and organizations trust the MOR team to provide their athletes with the best possible care. So if you suffer a sports-related injury and choose to see an MOR physician, rest assured you can expect the same high-quality care.
Optimizing Performance
No matter your level of fitness or your goals as an athlete, our Sports Performance centers can help you safely return to sports after an injury and achieve peak performance. The certified athletic trainers and other Sports Performance specialists at MOR pick up where your physical therapists left off, using the latest technologies and functional assessments to develop personalized programs. These evidence-based training programs are specifically designed to improve strength, power, flexibility, and conditioning — and they’re available to anyone.
Ready to See a Sports Medicine Specialist?
Schedule an appointment today and get back to your best.
Providers
Frequently Asked Questions
A sports medicine physician is a specialist trained in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries related to physical activity, for athletes of all levels. Sports medicine surgeons focus on operative care of sports injuries, while nonsurgical sports medicine physicians focus on diagnosis, injections, and conservative management. Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush has both on the team.
No. Our sports medicine team treats weekend warriors, high school and college athletes, youth athletes, and active adults — alongside our work as team physicians for the Chicago Bulls, White Sox, Fire, and other programs. The same protocols used for professional teams are applied to every patient.
Most athletes return to sport 6 to 9 months after ACL reconstruction, once strength, stability, and neuromuscular control have been restored. Return-to-sport decisions are based on objective functional testing, not a calendar alone. Our team partners with certified athletic trainers and physical therapists to run return-to-play protocols.
For most acute injuries, the first step is R.I.C.E. — rest, ice, compression, and elevation — along with avoiding weight bearing if painful. Injuries with severe swelling, deformity, inability to bear weight, or a "pop" at the time of injury should be evaluated promptly. Same- or next-day sports injury appointments are available at most Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush locations.
Yes. Our concussion care program includes baseline testing, post-injury evaluation, and return-to-play clearance in coordination with athletic trainers, schools, and teams. We follow evidence-based protocols used at the professional and collegiate level.
Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush serves as team physicians for the Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Fire, with deep experience in high-level athletic care. The group has 4.8-star ratings across more than 3,700 patient reviews and maintains academic ties to Rush University Medical Center. Sports medicine care is offered across seven Chicago-area locations.