Common Sports Injuries: When Rest Isn’t Enough to Heal

Interview with Kevin Connolly, DO of Elliot Sports Medicine

Sports injuries can be frustrating, especially when recovery is slower than expected and your team is counting on you. While rest is important, some injuries require expert care for a safe and prompt return to play. Dr. Kevin Connolly, a primary care sports medicine physician at Elliot Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at Hooksett, explains when to seek treatment and how to recover safely. 

Q: What are some of the most common sports injuries you see? 

Dr. Connolly: I treat athletes of all ages and levels of competition, helping them recover from both overuse and sudden injuries. Young athletes, especially those who play year-round, often develop tendon issues, impingements, stress fractures, back pain, and growth plate inflammation due to repetitive motions like throwing, running, and jumping. Contact sports such as football, soccer, and hockey increase the risk of concussions, sprains, ACL tears, fractures, and joint injuries, which can sideline players for an entire season. As a team physician, I collaborate with athletic trainers and other healthcare providers to provide on-site care at games and mass sporting events for urgent issues, such as sudden injuries, heat exhaustion, and syncope.  

Q: When should an athlete see a sports medicine physician instead of just resting? 

Dr. Connolly: Athletes should seek care for any acute or chronic injury, pain, or limitation affecting their ability to play or perform. Persistent pain, swelling, reduced mobility, weakness, or joint instability may signal that rest isn’t enough. For example, a runner came in thinking she had shin splints, but it was actually a bone stress injury. Without treatment, her injury could have become a stress fracture and led to a much longer recovery, potentially sidelining her from championship meets. That's why seeking proper care and diagnosis are crucial for preventing more serious injuries.  

Q: What makes a sports medicine specialist the right choice for treating these injuries? 

Dr. Connolly: Sports medicine physicians specialize in treating sports and exercise-related injuries and guiding athletes toward a safe return to play. We use our expertise in tissue healing, rehabilitation, recovery timelines, and sport-specific physical demands to help athletes achieve their goals, while balancing injury risks with their individual risk tolerance. 

A minor wrist sprain may be manageable for a soccer player but more limiting for a gymnast, who relies on their wrists for dynamic maneuvers. Working with a sports medicine physician with experience treating a range of athletic conditions in a variety of sports ensures athletes receive the best care for a safe and timely return to their sport.  

Q: What should athletes know about returning to play after an injury? 

Dr. Connolly: Complete injury recovery requires more than just time. The injury should first be restored to appropriate pain and functional levels, and then skilled rehabilitation will help to improve motion, strength, balance, coordination, and confidence. Before returning to play, athletes should progress through sport-specific exercises and drills, demonstrating their ability to handle full-contact practice.  

A well-structured return-to-play plan is gradual, similar to preseason conditioning, and requires careful monitoring. In some cases, athletes may compete while recovering from low-risk injuries, while others may choose to sit out longer to protect their season. The decision to return should be made in collaboration with the team physician, physical therapists, athletic trainers, families, and coaches. 

Q: What advice do you have for athletes trying to prevent injuries or illness? 

Dr. Connolly: Here are five things to remember to stay healthy during your season. 

1.  Address injuries or illnesses early. It makes them easier to manage.  
2. Cross-train. Playing multiple sports, varying workouts, and taking at least one rest day per week—helps prevent overuse injuries and enhances performance.  
3. Prioritize sleep, eat a balanced diet, and listen to your body.  
4. Get a preparticipation exam. This should consider medical history, including medications, heart or lung conditions, past injuries, or concussions, as these can impact performance and safety.  
5. Consider overarching medical conditions. As a primary care sports medicine physician with family practice training, I also treat conditions like asthma, skin infections, and energy deficiency syndromes that affect sports and exercise.  

Q: What are alternative therapies for treating common sports injuries? 

Dr. Connolly: I also provide osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), which is a hands-on manual modality to treat athletes for common conditions like back pain or hip tightness. I use diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound to help evaluate injuries and provide ultrasound-guided procedures, such as steroid injections, percutaneous needle tenotomy, and platelet-rich plasma injections, to treat joint pain or difficult tendonitis.  

For more information or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kevin Connolly at Elliot Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at Hooksett, visit our website or call 603-625-1655. 

Kevin Connolly, DO, is a board-certified primary care sports medicine and family physician and practices at Elliot Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at Hooksett and Elliot Pediatrics and Primary Care at Riverside.