Sports Medicine
SPORTS INJURY & ACTIVITY CARE
Sports medicine care focuses on foot, ankle, and lower-extremity injuries that happen during training, competition, exercise, or daily activity. Evaluation helps identify the injury pattern, protect healing tissue, and guide a safe return to movement.
- Sprains, strains, tendon pain, or swelling
- Pain with running, jumping, or cutting
- Injuries may need imaging or bracing
- Return-to-sport planning matters
Evaluation & Next Steps
- Clear severity assessment and next steps
- Supportive care and recovery guidance
- Care across 4 Las Vegas locations
Call: (702) 703-4340
Hours: Mon–Fri: 8am–5pm
On this page
Quick Summary
Key takeaway: Sports medicine helps evaluate activity-related foot and ankle injuries, manage pain and swelling, and guide recovery so patients can return to activity as safely as possible.
Care depends on the type of injury, severity, sport or activity demands, and whether symptoms are improving with rest or basic support. Early evaluation can help distinguish minor overuse from injuries that need bracing, imaging, rehabilitation, or closer follow-up.
Overview
What is Sports Medicine?
Sports medicine covers evaluation and treatment planning for injuries caused by activity, training, repetitive stress, or sudden impact. In foot and ankle care, this may include sprains, tendon injuries, heel pain, fractures, bruising, instability, or pain that limits performance.
Why Evaluation Matters
Some activity-related injuries improve with rest and support, while others can worsen if the injured area is stressed too soon. Evaluation helps identify the cause, determine whether imaging is needed, and create a recovery plan that balances healing with safe return to activity.
Symptoms
Sports-related symptoms vary depending on the injured tissue, activity, and whether the problem developed suddenly or gradually over time.
Pain During Activity
Pain may occur with running, jumping, cutting, pivoting, climbing stairs, or returning to activity after rest.
Swelling or Bruising
Swelling, bruising, warmth, or tenderness can appear after sprains, impact injuries, overuse, or suspected fractures.
Instability or Weakness
The foot or ankle may feel weak, unstable, stiff, or unreliable during sport-specific movements.
Recurring or Lingering Symptoms
Symptoms that keep returning after activity may signal incomplete recovery, tendon overload, poor mechanics, or an injury that needs closer evaluation.
Seek care now if…
Seek prompt evaluation if there is severe pain, obvious deformity, inability to bear weight, major swelling, numbness, an open wound, or symptoms that worsen instead of improving after injury.
Causes & Risk Factors
Sports injuries can result from sudden trauma, repetitive overload, poor mechanics, footwear issues, limited flexibility, or returning to activity before an injury has fully recovered.
Common Causes
- Ankle sprains or ligament injuries
- Tendon irritation or overuse
- Heel or arch pain from repetitive stress
- Impact injuries or bruising
- Stress injury or fracture concerns
The cause may be sudden, repetitive, or related to training load, foot structure, shoe fit, sport demands, or prior injury.
Risk Factors
- Rapid increase in activity
- Prior sprain or injury
- Poor footwear or support
- Limited flexibility or strength
- High-impact sports
- Uneven playing surfaces
- Returning too soon after injury
Diagnosis
Diagnosis focuses on identifying the injured structure, determining severity, and deciding whether support, imaging, rehabilitation, or additional treatment planning is needed.
Typical Evaluation
- Injury and activity review
- Foot and ankle exam
- Strength and stability assessment
- Gait or movement review
- X-rays or imaging when needed
What to Bring
- Current shoes or braces
- Sport or activity details
- Timeline of injury or symptoms
- Prior imaging or treatment records
- Goals for return to activity
Treatment Options
Treatment depends on the injury type, severity, sport demands, and whether symptoms are acute, recurring, or related to overuse.
Related care: Treatment planning may include bracing, activity modification, rehabilitation, footwear guidance, imaging review, or additional evaluation when symptoms persist.
Early Care
- Rest from aggravating activity
- Swelling and pain control
- Protected weight bearing when needed
- Imaging if fracture is suspected
Bracing / Immobilization
- Ankle brace or walking boot
- Taping or support when appropriate
- Temporary activity restriction
- Protection during early healing
Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy
- Strength and mobility work
- Balance and stability training
- Sport-specific progression
- Return-to-activity guidance
Additional Evaluation
- Pain persists or worsens
- Repeated injury occurs
- Instability limits activity
- Imaging or specialist review is needed
Recovery
Recovery depends on the injury, severity, activity demands, and how well symptoms improve with protection, support, and rehabilitation.
What Helps Most
- Gradual return: Activity should usually progress in stages.
- Consistent rehab: Strength, balance, and mobility help reduce reinjury risk.
- Supportive footwear: Proper shoes or braces may protect healing tissue.
- Symptom monitoring: Pain, swelling, or instability should guide progression.
- Follow-up care: Rechecks help adjust the plan when recovery stalls.
When to Follow Up
- Pain persists: Symptoms do not improve with initial care.
- Swelling returns: Activity repeatedly triggers swelling or soreness.
- Instability continues: The ankle or foot feels unreliable.
- Weight bearing is limited: Walking remains difficult or painful.
- Return to sport stalls: Progress is slower than expected.
- New symptoms develop: Numbness, worsening pain, or weakness appears.
Frequently Asked Questions
Evaluation is reasonable when pain, swelling, instability, or difficulty bearing weight persists, or when symptoms limit training, competition, or daily activity.
No. Imaging may be recommended when there is concern for fracture, significant swelling, deformity, persistent pain, or an injury that is not improving as expected.
Playing through pain can worsen some injuries. Evaluation can help determine whether activity modification, bracing, rehabilitation, or rest is needed.
Strengthening, balance training, supportive footwear, bracing when appropriate, and a gradual return to activity may reduce reinjury risk.
Recovery depends on the injury type, severity, activity demands, and treatment plan. Mild injuries may improve quickly, while more significant injuries may require longer protection and rehabilitation.
Return to sports depends on pain control, strength, stability, range of motion, and sport-specific readiness. Returning too soon may increase the chance of reinjury.
Locations
LVVIS offers vein evaluation and treatment planning at multiple Las Vegas locations. Choose the office that is most convenient when scheduling your visit.
LVVIS West Side Consultation Office
8930 W Sunset Rd, Suite 350
Las Vegas, NV 89148
Consultations and vascular evaluations
LV2 Limb & Vascular Division
8930 W Sunset Rd, Suite 350
Las Vegas, NV 89148
Limb preservation and podiatry partnership care
LVVIS East Procedure Office
2250 E Flamingo Rd, Suite 100
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Procedures, diagnostics, and circulatory care
LVVIS West Side Surgical Center
6120 S Fort Apache Rd, Suite 100
Las Vegas, NV 89148
Advanced vascular and interventional procedures