Sports Health - Prairie Performance Clinic

Sports Health & Injuries Guide

Discover essential tips on sports medicine and injury care. Learn how to prevent, identify, and recover from injuries so you can perform at your best safely.

Shoulder Injuries

The Shoulder it’s the most flexible joint in your body, giving you a wide range of motion. But that same mobility also makes it unstable, the ball at the top of your arm is actually bigger than the shoulder socket that holds it! That’s why strong muscles, tendons, and ligaments are key to keeping your shoulder steady and protected.

Rotator Cuff Tears

These injuries affect the group of tendons responsible for stabilizing and moving the shoulder. They’re especially common in athletes who perform repetitive overhead or lifting motions.

SLAP Tear (Superior Labrum Tear)

A SLAP tear involves damage to the labrum, the cartilage ring that stabilizes the top of the shoulder socket. It often affects athletes such as pitchers or volleyball players due to repetitive throwing or sudden pulling motions.

Labral Tear

There are three main types of labrum tears, and they can be easy to confuse. So it’s important to talk with your doctor to understand your specific case.

Shoulder Dislocation

This occurs when the upper arm bone (humeral head) slips out of the shoulder socket often from a fall or direct blow. It’s most common in young athletes and contact sports.

Shoulder Fractures: Clavicle and Scapula

Fractures of the shoulder can affect different bones, with varying frequency. Scapula (shoulder blade) fractures are rare, making up less than 1% of all bone fractures, and most can be managed without surgery. In contrast, the clavicle (collarbone) is one of the most commonly fractured bones in the body.

AC (Acromioclavicular) Joint Separation

This injury occurs when the ligaments connecting the clavicle and acromion are stretched or torn, causing the joint to loosen and the bones to move apart. It’s also known as an AC joint separation or acromioclavicular joint separation.

Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit (GIRD)

Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit (GIRD)Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit (GIRD) is a condition where the shoulder loses part of its internal rotation compared to the other side, often affecting athletes who throw.

Shoulder Impingement Syndrome

Shoulder impingement is a painful pinching inside the shoulder that often occurs during movement. It happens when the top outer edge of the shoulder blade presses down on the rotator cuff tendons beneath it, causing irritation and discomfort.

Tibial Avulsion Fracture

Tendons connect muscles to bones, and ligaments hold bones and joints in place. When you move suddenly like changing direction fast, the bone and tendon pull in opposite directions, causing the fracture.

Meniscus Injury

Meniscus tears are one of the most frequent knee injuries, particularly in athletes. A sudden twist or pivot, such as turning quickly to catch a ball can damage the cartilage in the knee. Individuals with knee arthritis are also at higher risk of developing a meniscus tear.