Sports Injuries
Sports Injury Treatment That Finds the Root Cause
A pulled hamstring that keeps tightening up. A knee that swells after every game. A shoulder that will not let you serve. An ankle that never felt right after that sprain. Sports injuries that linger keep you on the sidelines, and rest only gets you so far. Dr. Ilana Etelzon finds what is holding back your recovery and treats that, so you can get back in the game.
Double Board-Certified
Regenexx-Certified Provider
Ultrasound & X-Ray Guided
4 Offices in NY & NJ
Why it still hurts
Pain fades with rest, and the injury can stay
Sports injuries happen to weekend warriors, lifelong runners, pickleball players, and people getting back into shape at every age. After 40, tendons and ligaments heal more slowly and are more prone to strain, so an injury that would have healed in weeks at 25 can drag on for months. Rest makes the pain fade, and the tissue often stays weak.
Lasting recovery comes from finding the specific tissue that was hurt, the reason it is slow to heal, and what overloaded it in the first place, such as weak supporting muscles, an old injury, or a training change. Getting back to sport too soon, or not at all, usually comes from skipping that step.
Pain that keeps coming back has a reason. Finding it comes first.
The root causes
Six things that hold back sports injury recovery
Most injuries that linger have more than one of these at work at the same time. That is why rest alone rarely gets you back, and why your plan should match your own mix.
1
A tendon that never finished healing
Achilles, patellar, hamstring, and shoulder tendons can stall partway through healing and stay weak and sore.
2
A partial ligament or muscle tear
Torn fibers that heal loosely leave a joint unstable or a muscle prone to straining again.
3
Joint damage
Meniscus tears, labral tears, and cartilage injuries change how a joint moves and can lead to early arthritis.
4
Weak supporting muscles
After an injury, the muscles around it weaken, which puts more strain on the healing tissue.
5
An old injury
An earlier sprain or strain that never fully healed changes how you move and loads other areas.
6
Training load and technique
A sudden jump in training, a new sport, or a technique flaw can overload the same tissue again and again.
Step one: Reveal
How Dr. Etelzon finds what is holding back your recovery
Your first visit is built around one question: what is keeping this injury from healing? Dr. Etelzon answers it with the same careful steps every time.
- Your storyHow it happened, your sport and training, past injuries, what you have tried, and when you want to be back.
- A hands-on examShe checks the injured area, joint stability, strength, and how you move in your sport.
- Ultrasound in the roomIn-office ultrasound shows tendon, ligament, and muscle damage in real time, while you move.
- Your imaging, read closelyShe reviews your X-rays and MRI and matches what they show to what she finds on exam.
You leave knowing what is holding back your recovery and what each part of your plan is for.
Reveal
Find every driver
Diagnose all the sources of pain before treating any of them.
Repair
Treat the tissue
Image-guided regenerative care aimed at the damaged structures.
Restore
Rebuild control
Strength and movement work so the area holds up under load.
Renew
Get back to life
Return to your activities and stay there.
Step two: Repair
Treatment matched to what is actually wrong
Once the drivers are clear, Dr. Etelzon chooses treatments that aim at them directly. Injections are placed under ultrasound guidance, so they reach the exact injured tissue.
PRP Injections
Concentrated platelets from your own blood, placed into an injured tendon, ligament, or muscle to help it heal stronger.
Learn about PRP injections ›Bone Marrow Concentrate
Cells drawn from your own bone marrow, used for larger tears and joint injuries that need more support to repair.
Learn about stem cell injections ›Shockwave Therapy
Acoustic waves that restart healing in a stubborn tendon and help tight, injured muscles recover.
Learn about shockwave therapy ›Tenotomy
A minimally invasive procedure that clears out damaged tendon tissue through a tiny opening, for tendons that have not responded to other care.
Learn about TenJet ›MLS Laser Therapy
A focused laser that calms pain and swelling and helps tissue recover faster between sessions.
Learn about MLS laser therapy ›Return-to-Sport Plan
A step-by-step strength and movement plan, so you return to your sport ready and stay there.
See our regenerative procedures ›Where cortisone fits
Cortisone can quiet pain for a short time, and it has a place. It can also weaken tendons and mask an injury that still needs to heal, so Dr. Etelzon uses it carefully in active people and pairs any short-term relief with treatment aimed at healing the tissue.
Every injury
What can help, by type of injury
Sports injuries fall into a few common types. The type guides the plan, and your specific drivers decide it.
Tendon
Tendon injuries
Achilles, patellar, hamstring, elbow, and rotator cuff tendons. PRP, shockwave, and tenotomy help stalled tendons heal. See rotator cuff treatment and tennis elbow treatment.
Ligament
Sprains and ligament tears
Ankle, knee, and elbow ligaments. PRP aimed at stretched or partly torn ligaments plus stability work can restore a steady joint.
Joint
Meniscus, labrum, and cartilage
Injuries inside the joint. PRP and bone marrow concentrate can reduce pain and support healing for many athletes. See labral tear treatment.
An honest note. A complete tendon or ligament rupture usually needs a surgeon. Dr. Etelzon will tell you plainly when that is the better path, and regenerative care can still help you recover after surgery.
Results
Outcomes tracked across the Regenexx network
Regenexx collects patient-reported outcomes from certified clinics across the country. Explore the live results below.
Like all medical procedures, regenerative procedures have a success and failure rate. Individual results vary.
Step four: Renew
Back in the game
Patients come to us wanting specific things back: a beach volleyball game, a pickup basketball run, a half marathon, a full season without a setback. That is what we treat toward.
Back with the team
Game time again
Your first visit
What to expect, and what it costs
Your first visit is a consultation with Dr. Etelzon: your history, a hands-on exam, ultrasound, and a review of your imaging. Bring any X-rays or MRIs of your injury you have. If treatment makes sense, you leave with a written plan and a clear price before anything is scheduled.
Most regenerative procedures, including PRP and bone marrow concentrate, are not covered by insurance. Many patients use HSA or FSA funds, and monthly financing is available. See our payment and financing options.
Find us
Sports injury treatment across New York and New Jersey
Dr. Etelzon and her team treat sports injuries at four offices, so care is close to where you live, work, and play.
New York
Brooklyn
2577 East 17th Street, 1st Floor Unit 18B, Brooklyn, NY 11235Brooklyn office › New JerseyClifton
1111 Paulison Ave, Unit 2, Clifton, NJ 07011Clifton office › New JerseyNewark
73-75 Ferry St, Newark, NJ 07105Newark office › New JerseyPerth Amboy
345 State St, Unit B, Perth Amboy, NJ 08861Perth Amboy office ›Call 1 (844) 959-7246 to reach any office.
Keep reading
More on sports injuries and recovery
References
- Coombes BK, Bisset L, Vicenzino B. Efficacy and safety of corticosteroid injections and other injections for management of tendinopathy: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. The Lancet. 2010;376(9754):1751-1767.
- Rompe JD, Furia J, Maffulli N. Eccentric loading versus eccentric loading plus shock-wave treatment for midportion Achilles tendinopathy: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2009;37(3):463-470.
Find out what is holding back your recovery
One visit, a clear answer, and a plan built around your injury and the sport you want back. This is where the trying stops.