Sports Medicine

Why Choose UCLA Health for Sports Medicine

At UCLA Health, you receive the same expert orthopedic and sports medicine care provided to top athletes. We are the official medical partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Lakers, Sparks and Chargers, as well as USA Basketball and UCLA Athletics. Whether you’re a recreational, high school or collegiate athlete, we can help.

Highlights of our program include:

Expertise that supports your recovery: You receive care from physicians with advanced training in sports medicine, including specialists in nonoperative care. They use advanced diagnostic techniques and targeted treatments such as ultrasound-guided injections. This approach helps many people return to their sport quickly and safely.

Nonsurgical treatments: We help many athletes recover without surgery. Your plan may include physical therapy, bracing, activity modification or in-office procedures that improve blood flow to promote healing. We may also provide guidance on nutrition and conditioning to support your recovery.

Surgical options: When surgery is necessary, you receive care from trusted orthopedic surgeons, many with advanced training in sports medicine. We use minimally invasive techniques whenever possible to support a smoother recovery. For more serious injuries, we may perform reconstructive procedures to restore stability and function.

Injury prevention and performance optimization: Our specialists analyze how your body moves to identify patterns that may increase your risk of injury. Based on those insights, we design a personalized plan to help you build strength, improve movement and support long-term athletic performance. Explore sports performance services.

Convenience: Getting expert care is easy with UCLA Health. We offer sports medicine services at locations across Southern California, including the Santa Monica Orthopedic Walk-In Clinic for urgent injuries. Providers share information and anticipate your needs, delivering seamless, coordinated care, no matter where you start.

Our Areas of Care

When recovering from a sports injury, you need a team that supports every step of the process. That’s why our services include diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and injury prevention. The same experts trusted by top athletes provide care tailored to your goals. Our sports medicine doctors offer:

Accurate diagnostics: Effective treatments begin with a precise diagnosis. We use the latest imaging techniques, enabling us to see muscles, ligaments and tendons in greater detail. This technology helps us diagnose conditions accurately and deliver treatments that help you move without pain.
Injury prevention: If you’ve ever dealt with a sports injury, you know how important it is to avoid another one. Our experienced primary care sports medicine physicians and physical therapists are experts in athletic conditioning and injury prevention. We evaluate how your body moves and recommend ways to reduce stress on your joints. You get personalized training routine recommendations, focusing on ways to improve your balance, strength and agility.
Physical therapy and rehabilitation: You work with sports medicine physical therapists who are specially trained to treat athletes and active people. We partner with you to create a sports medicine physical therapy plan that helps you maximize your recovery, return to the activities you enjoy and prevent future injuries.
Nonsurgical treatments: Many sports-related injuries don’t require surgery. Our specialists provide all types of nonsurgical treatments, including medication, ultrasound-guided therapies and injections.
Minimally invasive surgery: If you need surgery, you’re in good hands. Our orthopedic surgeons pioneer arthroscopic techniques that get you back in the game with a shorter recovery time and less pain than traditional surgery.

Sports Injuries We Treat

Our sports medicine team treats the full range of sports injuries. These conditions may result from acute or chronic injuries, overuse, accidents or trauma. Your care is in the hands of specialists who have successfully treated the most complex and severe injuries.

Shoulder injuries

Several injuries can affect how the ball-and-socket shoulder joint works. Common symptoms of a shoulder injury include pain, stiffness and decreased mobility. We specialize in relieving pain and restoring function in all types of shoulder injuries. Our shoulder experts treat:

Dislocation: When the upper arm bone comes out of the socket
Frozen shoulder: Occurs due to inflammation, pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint
Impingement syndrome (swimmer’s shoulder): Develops when tendons in the rotator cuff are pinched due to inflammation
Rotator cuff injuries: Affect the muscles and tendons in the shoulder joint
Shoulder (A-C joint) separation: When the collarbone separates from the shoulder blade
Superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) lesions and labral tears: Injuries to the labrum, a ring of cartilage in the shoulder joint socket

Elbow injuries

Elbow injuries usually result from overuse. Some of the most common elbow injuries we treat include:

Biceps tendon and triceps tendon tears: Breaks in the tissue connecting bone to muscle
Golfer’s elbow: Inflammation, pain and swelling on the outside of the elbow from overusing your forearm muscles
Ligament or cartilage injuries: Damage to the tissues connecting bones (ligaments) or cushioning bones and joints (cartilage)
Little Leaguer’s elbow: Elbow pain in young athletes due to overuse
Tennis elbow: Inflammation, tenderness and swelling on the inside of the elbow from overusing your forearm muscles

Hip injuries

Athletes such as runners, ballet dancers and gymnasts have an increased risk of hip injuries. Several hip conditions can cause pain and limited mobility. We treat all hip injuries, including:

Hamstring avulsion injuries: Injuries that occur when the hamstring tears away from the pelvis or shinbone
Hip labral tears: Injuries to the cartilage in the hip joint
Hip pointer: A bruise on the hipbone
Tendonitis: Inflammation in the tissues connecting bones to muscles (tendons)

Knee injuries

Many athletes experience knee pain at some point, either from overuse, sudden stops, changing direction or from a fall or collision during a contact sport. Our experts specialize in leading treatments for all types of knee injuries. We also help people who previously had knee surgery.

Some of the most common knee injuries and conditions we treat are:

Cartilage injuries: Tears in the C-shaped knee cartilage (meniscus tears) and loose cartilage pieces
Knee dislocations: Occur when the thigh bone pulls away from the shinbone in the knee joint
Kneecap (patella) dislocations and instability: When the kneecap slips out of its usual position
Ligament tears: Including the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL tear), medial collateral ligament (MCL tear) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL tear), the major ligaments stabilizing the knee
Patella and quadriceps tendon tears: Rips in the knee and upper thigh tendons
Patellar tendonitis: Inflammation in the kneecap tendons

Foot and ankle injuries

Treating the complex structure of the foot and ankle requires specialized expertise. We have vast experience helping athletes and active people with a wide range of conditions affecting the lower leg and foot, including:

Achilles tendon ruptures: Tears in the strong tendon connecting the heel and calf muscles
Ankle impingement: Pain from pinching bone or soft tissues at the front of the ankle
Foot and ankle muscle and bone injuries: Broken bones, sprains, muscle strains and instability from a previous injury
Plantar fasciitis: Inflammation of tissues connecting the toes to the heel
Tendonitis: Inflammation of tissues connecting bones and muscles

Sports Medicine Treatments We Offer

At UCLA Health, sports medicine physicians offer a broad range of services that ease pain, restore mobility and prevent injuries.

We offer:

Physical therapy: Athletes demand a lot from their bodies. Our sports medicine physical therapists help athletes and active people maximize their recovery so they can come back stronger and prevent injuries. We use a combination of hands-on techniques, plus stretching and strengthening exercises, to help you heal without surgery.
Nonsurgical treatments: We offer a wide range of nonsurgical treatments for sports injuries. Corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid (HA) injections can relieve pain, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections can speed healing. We also offer ultrasound treatments, such as percutaneous needle tenotomy and barbotage procedures, to increase blood flow to injured areas.
Minimally invasive joint repair procedures: Surgeons often use arthroscopic techniques involving small incisions, a tiny camera and specialized instruments. These procedures result in less pain and shorter recovery time than traditional open surgery. Our experts pioneer arthroscopic techniques to treat injuries in shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, ankles and feet.
Reconstructive surgery: Our surgeons have a depth of expertise in procedures that restore joint stability, alignment and function. Options include ACL reconstruction, cartilage restoration, tendon repair and procedures to address joint misalignment. These services make it possible to remain active with less pain.

Meet Our Team

Your care team includes experienced primary care sports medicine physicians, physical therapists and orthopedic surgeons. We collaborate to bring you effective treatments while working with you to prevent another injury. We provide medical services in locations throughout the region and are ready to help you get back to doing what you love.