Skip to main content
Call Us Patient Portal

Blog Articles

Sports Medicine Oregon Blog View all posts

What Happens If You Don’t Get Treatment for a Concussion?
A concussion isn’t just a minor “hit on the head” or a fall that has you “seeing stars.” It’s a mild traumatic brain injury that requires prompt diagnosis and care to facilitate healing and prevent serious complications. Learn more here.
May 5th, 2025

How Bunions Increase Your Risk of Other Injuries
Your bunion wasn’t problematic — until it was. If a stiff toe and throbbing bunion are making you limp in pain, you may be at an increased risk of injury. Learn more about bunion-related complications, and how to avoid them.
Apr 11th, 2025
Breaking Down the Three Phases of Frozen Shoulder

Breaking Down the Three Phases of Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder is a painfully frustrating and limiting condition that can interfere with your daily life for months — or years — on end. Learn about the three phases of this condition, and how treatment can accelerate your recovery.
Mar 10th, 2025
Why Does It Hurt When I Raise My Arm Above My Head?

Why Does It Hurt When I Raise My Arm Above My Head?
Your rotator cuff stabilizes your shoulder joint and gives you the ability to turn, rotate, and raise your arm. So, what might be wrong if reaching overhead triggers shoulder pain? Find out here. 
Feb 10th, 2025
Why Your Hips Hurt When You Wake Up

Why Your Hips Hurt When You Wake Up
Your hips feel fine when you’re active during the day — but they’re stiff and achy after a restful night of sleep. What gives? Learn why your body’s largest weight-bearing joints might hurt upon waking, and find out what you can do about it.
Jan 1st, 2025
Help! My Hammertoe Is Getting Worse

Help! My Hammertoe Is Getting Worse
You used to be able to bend your hammertoe and gently press it flat, but now it’s getting stiffer and harder to move. Should you worry? Not necessarily — but you should definitely take steps to manage the problem. Learn more here.
Dec 4th, 2024
What Are the Signs of a Concussion?

What Are the Signs of a Concussion?
Millions of Americans — including many youth athletes — sustain concussion injuries each year. Knowing what signs and symptoms to watch out for can help you get the care you need to prevent long-term effects.  
Oct 17th, 2024
Can an ACL Tear Heal on Its Own?

Can an ACL Tear Heal on Its Own?
It happened in an instant: You tore your ACL in the game, and now you’re sidelined by knee pain and instability. Will your ligament heal on its own, or will you need surgery to get back to your active life? Find out here.
Sep 15th, 2024
What Are My Nonsurgical Options for a Bone Fracture?

What Are My Nonsurgical Options for a Bone Fracture?
While complex or severe bone fracture injuries often require surgical treatment, most mild to moderate fractures heal completely with immobilization. Read on to learn more about casting, splinting, and other forms of standard fracture care.
Aug 18th, 2024

Can Hammertoe Be Corrected with Orthotics?
Custom orthotics can treat a wide range of gait problems and foot conditions, including hammertoe deformities. Find out how they correct flexible hammertoe — and how they work to ease symptoms of more advanced cases.
Jul 26th, 2024
Does Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Require Surgery?

Does Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Require Surgery?
You tried a conservative care approach, but your carpal tunnel symptoms are persistent, severe, or worsening. Is it time to consider surgery? Here’s when minimally invasive carpal tunnel release may be your best treatment solution.
Jun 19th, 2024
Is Osteoarthritis Reversible?

Is Osteoarthritis Reversible?

Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of chronic joint pain and dysfunction. If you’re living with this degenerative joint disease, the only thing you want is lasting relief. Can you attain it by reversing the condition? Find out here.
May 1st, 2024
I Have Morton’s Neuroma: Can You Help?

I Have Morton’s Neuroma: Can You Help?
About one in three people develop Morton’s neuroma at some point in life. If you’re currently dealing with this common and irritating foot pain problem, we can help. Here’s how — and why treatment is so important.
Apr 9th, 2024
The Dangers of a Concussion

The Dangers of a Concussion
A concussion is always serious, but the prognosis is generally positive when it’s diagnosed promptly and managed properly. A concussion can be more dangerous however, when it’s missed or mismanaged. Learn more here.
Mar 12th, 2024
3 Sports Injuries That Can Affect Your Knees

3 Sports Injuries That Can Affect Your Knees
Your knees are complex, high-use joints that bear most of your weight when you’re in the game, leaving them more susceptible to injury. Learn more about three sports-related knee injuries we commonly see in our practice.
Feb 1st, 2024
Managing Carpal Tunnel Pain at Work

Managing Carpal Tunnel Pain at Work
Carpal tunnel pain is usually aggravated by repetitive, wrist-intensive activities, making it a challenge to manage the condition on the job if you work with your hands. Here are five ways to support your wrist through your workday.
Jan 10th, 2024
4 Essential Tips to Cope with Arthritis Symptoms in Winter

4 Essential Tips to Cope with Arthritis Symptoms in Winter
If cold weather is something you “feel in your bones,” you’re not alone — winter is a time of increased joint pain and stiffness for many people, especially those who live with arthritis. Learn effective ways to cope with this seasonal change.
Dec 3rd, 2023
Nagging Hip Pain: 4 Reasons Why

Nagging Hip Pain: 4 Reasons Why
Does nagging hip pain interfere with your daily life, restrict your mobility, or keep you up at night? Hip pain may be a common complaint, but it’s not one you have to live with. Learn about common causes of chronic hip pain, and how we can help.
Oct 1st, 2023
Is Hammertoe Dangerous?

Is Hammertoe Dangerous?
Are you living with a painful hammertoe deformity that makes it difficult to walk, gives you recurring corns and calluses, or limits your activities? Here’s why it’s so important to treat this progressive toe joint disorder.
Sep 6th, 2023
My Shoulder Feels Sore Every Morning: What Could It Be?

My Shoulder Feels Sore Every Morning: What Could It Be?
After a good night’s sleep, you expect your body to feel rested, restored, and ready to start a new day. What you don’t expect is to wake up with a sore shoulder joint. Here’s why morning shoulder pain may be a routine problem for you.
Aug 6th, 2023
5 Ways to Make Your Workouts Arthritis-Friendly

5 Ways to Make Your Workouts Arthritis-Friendly
Keeping your body moving is what keeps your joints moving, and as luck would have it, it’s also what helps ease inflammation to take the edge off arthritis pain and stiffness — naturally. Here are our top five arthritis-friendly workouts.
Jul 4th, 2023
Why You Shouldn’t Play Through an Injury

Why You Shouldn’t Play Through an Injury
No pain, no gain: It’s a common cliché about presumed rewards of pushing your physical capacity to the max. But should you really “walk it off” and play through the pain when you have a sports injury? Find out here.
Jun 11th, 2023

Tips for Reducing Swelling In Your Joints
Traumatic injuries, overuse, infection, and arthritis are many potential causes of joint swelling. Find out more about this common problem, and learn a few effective ways to ease it quickly.
Apr 1st, 2023
Exercises You Can Do At Home to Strengthen Your Ankle

Exercises You Can Do At Home to Strengthen Your Ankle
A weak ankle leaves you vulnerable to injury (or reinjury), and can ultimately lead to the kind of chronic joint instability that compromises your mobility. Here are a few simple strengthening exercises you can do at home.
Mar 9th, 2023
4 Habits That Support Strong, Healthy Hips

4 Habits That Support Strong, Healthy Hips
Your hips may be the strongest joints in your body, but that doesn’t mean they’re invincible. Here, our expert team offers four invaluable habits that can keep your hips healthy, mobile, and pain-free as you age.
Feb 3rd, 2023
Life After a Knee Injury

Life After a Knee Injury
Whether you’ve injured your knee on the field or during routine daily activities, taking the right steps can help ensure your post-injury life isn’t hampered by continuing knee pain and limited mobility. Here’s what you should know.
Jan 17th, 2023
6 Causes of Hip Bursitis

6 Causes of Hip Bursitis
Hip bursitis is a frequent cause of acute and chronic hip pain, especially among aging women. Explore the signs and symptoms of this common problem, and find out more about its various possible underlying causes and contributing factors.
Nov 14th, 2022
What to Do About Hammertoe Symptoms

What to Do About Hammertoe Symptoms
A hammertoe deformity can cause persistent foot discomfort that makes it difficult to walk and leaves you susceptible to painful corns and calluses. Here’s how to ease your symptoms and keep the condition from progressing.
May 11th, 2022
5 Ways to Reduce Carpal Tunnel Pain

5 Ways to Reduce Carpal Tunnel Pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) can be hard to live with, especially if wrist-intensive activities are part of your daily life. Luckily, you can ease CTS-related pain, improve your quality of life, and avoid or delay surgery — here’s how.
Apr 12th, 2022
Does Frozen Shoulder Go Away on Its Own?

Does Frozen Shoulder Go Away on Its Own?
Frozen shoulder is a painful and debilitating problem that can immobilize your shoulder joint for months or even years on end. Learn how this frustrating problem progresses on its own, and how the right treatment can help it reverse course.
Mar 16th, 2022
Returning to Sports After a Meniscus Tear

Returning to Sports After a Meniscus Tear
Whether you were pivoting on the court, changing direction on the field, or negotiating uneven terrain in an off-road race, you weren’t expecting a loud pop in your knee and a lot of pain. Here’s how to return to your sport after a meniscus tear.
Jan 18th, 2022
How Is a Sprained Ankle Graded?

How Is a Sprained Ankle Graded?
Whether it’s the result of a sports injury, a traumatic impact, or a simple misstep, a sprained ankle can be painful and limiting. Learn the ins and outs of this frequent joint injury, including how it’s graded for severity.
Dec 20th, 2021
ACL Tear

When Does an ACL Tear Require Surgery?
You have an ACL injury. Do you need surgery or will conservative treatments work? Learn what circumstances usually require a surgical approach to heal your knee so that it’s functional.
Nov 11th, 2021

What Is Hip Osteoarthritis?
What Is Hip Osteoarthritis? The hip is one of the most important joints in the body. Its primary purpose is to bear and support the weight of the body during physical activity.
Jun 14th, 2021

Discover Wrist Tendonitis & Treatments
What Is Wrist Tendonitis? The wrist joint, which connects the hand to the forearm, plays an important role in the overall function of the hand and arm.
Jun 14th, 2021

Discover Arthritis Symptoms And Treatments
What Is Arthritis? The term “arthritis” simply means inflammation of the joints. In most cases, this inflammation occurs after the cartilage in the joint has been damaged.
Jun 14th, 2021

What Is A Stress Fracture Of The Hip?
A stress fracture usually occurs when a bone is subjected to repetitive strain or impact. For example, when a runner's foot strikes a hard surface, the vibration from that impact travels up the leg to the hip.
Jun 14th, 2021

Locked Knees
What Is A Locked Knee? The knee is one of the most complex joints in the human body.
Jun 14th, 2021

Jones Fracture Treatment
What Is A Jones Fracture? When a break occurs in the bone that runs along the outside of the foot, from the baby or pinkie toe to the ankle, it may be a Jones fracture.
Jun 14th, 2021

To Our Valued Patients
3/20/20 Update: SMO has now incorporated HIPAA secure TeleMedicine video conference visits with our patients.
Jun 14th, 2021

Part Of The Timbers Army On And Off The Field
At Sports Medicine Oregon, we’ve worked tirelessly over the years to make sure the members of the Portland Timbers remain healthy and competitive throughout the grueling MLS season.
Jun 14th, 2021

What Is Carpal Tunnel?
What Is Carpal Tunnel? Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Causes, Treatment, And Prevention Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common nerve conditions in the United States, currently affecting nearly five million workers around the country.
Jun 14th, 2021

Direct Anterior Hip Replacement
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU NEED A HIP REPLACEMENT? Today, hip replacement surgery is one of the most common elective surgeries in the United States, with more than 400,000 replacements performed annually.
Jun 14th, 2021

How Do You Know If You Tore Your Meniscus?
How Do You Know If You Tore Your Meniscus? The average person takes more than 5,0001 steps every single day. Over the days, months, and years, these strides add up to thousands upon thousands of leagues quite literally under your knees.
Jun 14th, 2021

Prevention Is The Best Sports Medicine
Prevention Is The Best Sports Medicine WHAT IS SPORTS MEDICINE? The human body is capable of incredible achievements, however, as we all know, we all have our own unique limitations (even if we don’t like to admit this).
Jun 14th, 2021

Recovering From Arthroscopic Surgery
Recovering From Arthroscopic Surgery WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER ARTHROSCOPIC KNEE SURGERY Arthroscopy is a very useful form of surgery that is used for the treatment of a number of problems.
Jun 14th, 2021

Bicep Tenodesis Surgical Repair: What To Expect
THE PROCEDURE You are having a bicep tenodesis. Bicep tenodesis is surgical repair of an injured or degenerative tendon through the use of sutures and fixative devices anchoring the tendon to bone.
Jun 14th, 2021

ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) Surgery Basics
ACL Reconstruction ACL RECONSTRUCTION PROCEDURE You are having an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Surgical repair seeks to correct mechanical instability of the knee joint.
Jun 14th, 2021