Sports Medicine at Nowak Orthopedics involves a holistic approach to the diagnosis and treatment of sports and exercise-related injuries.  Treatment favors conservative interventions before surgery including injections, physical therapy, pain management, nutrition, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy, and sports conditioning.

The care and prevention of athletic injuries require a coordinated team approach with the Primary Care Physician, Sports Physical Therapist, Athletic Trainer, Coach, and Strength and Conditioning Coach.  Dr. Nowak stresses strong communication within the team.

Utilizing his vast network of sports clinicians, Dr. Nowak aligns an aggressive plan of care, to return the athlete to sports stronger than before injury.  As an active athlete, Dr. Nowak appreciates every athlete’s passion to participate. His expertise in return to play protocols requires patients to be active while they heal.

Nowak Orthopedic Associates’ expertise in joint reconstruction and arthroscopy of the knee and shoulder lends itself to early athlete recovery. Acute injuries can often schedule within 24 hours to accelerate return to sports.

Conservative Management/Minimally Invasive Surgery:

Conservative management of injury has become an increasingly common focus in medicine, especially in recent years.  The opioid crisis has fast tracked many advances in medicine including better techniques and protocols that minimize the need for opioid drugs.  Conservative management is an approach and philosophy that is consistent with current evidence.  We are up to date with the latest research and technologies in conservative orthopedic management.  Let’s face it, there are times when surgery is the only or the best option, and there are instances where a more conservative approach is warranted.  The right treatment at the right time for the right patient is expert care!

What is minimally invasive surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery is exactly what it sounds like.  Whereas traditional surgery often requires a large incision and significant trauma to soft tissue surrounding an injury, minimally invasive surgery attempts to minimize both the size of surgical incisions as well as the trauma to surrounding soft tissues while accomplishing the same surgical goal.  In orthopedics, this can mean the difference between exposing the entire joint through a large, open incision and using small, targeted incisions to address only the problem area.  This results in less risk during surgery, less post-operative pain, less pain medication, and shorter recovery times.