Sports Injuries

From the Sideline Back to the Field — Expert Sports Rehabilitation in Monmouth County

Sports injuries can sideline athletes at any level — from weekend warriors and high school competitors to seasoned recreational players and elite performers. At Healing Star Physical Therapy and Wellness, we understand that getting back to the game you love isn’t just about pain relief — it’s about restoring full strength, mobility, and confidence so you can perform at your best without fear of re-injury.

Our sports rehabilitation team brings advanced orthopedic training and sport-specific expertise to every case. We serve athletes throughout Monmouth County, including Eatontown, Freehold, Tinton Falls, Red Bank, and surrounding communities.

Common Sports Injuries We Treat

Knee Injuries

  • ACL, PCL, and MCL tears — acute ligament injuries from cutting, pivoting, or contact
  • Meniscus tears — from sudden twisting or degenerative wear in older athletes
  • Patellar tendinopathy (Jumper’s Knee) — common in basketball, volleyball, and running athletes
  • IT band syndrome — lateral knee pain affecting runners and cyclists
  • Patellofemoral pain syndrome (Runner’s Knee) — pain under or around the kneecap

Shoulder Injuries

  • Rotator cuff tears and tendinopathy — overhead athletes, throwing sports, swimming
  • Shoulder labral tears (SLAP and Bankart lesions) — from dislocation or repetitive overhead motion
  • AC joint sprains — common in contact sports and falls
  • Biceps tendinopathy and rupture — throwing and overhead athletes
  • Shoulder instability and dislocation — recurrent shoulder subluxation or dislocation

Ankle and Foot Injuries

  • Ankle sprains and chronic ankle instability — most common sports injury
  • Achilles tendinopathy and rupture — running athletes, court sports
  • Plantar fasciitis — runners, basketball, and high-impact sport athletes
  • Stress fractures of the foot and lower leg — runners, military athletes, dancers

Elbow and Upper Extremity

  • Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) — racquet sports, golf, throwing sports
  • Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis) — golf, baseball, racquet sports
  • UCL injuries (thrower’s elbow) — baseball pitchers and overhead throwers
  • Wrist sprains and TFCC injuries — gymnastics, martial arts, racquet sports

Hip and Groin

  • Hip flexor and adductor strains — sprinting, soccer, and cutting sports
  • Hip labral tears — runners, hockey players, dancers
  • Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) — hockey, soccer, gymnastics
  • Greater trochanteric pain syndrome — runners and endurance athletes

Spine and Head

  • Low back strains and disc injuries — contact sports, weightlifting, golf, rowing
  • Neck strains and cervical injuries — contact sports and collision trauma
  • Concussion and post-concussion syndrome — any contact or collision sport

Our Sports Rehabilitation Approach

At Healing Star PT, sports rehabilitation is never a generic program. We begin with a thorough evaluation that assesses the injury itself alongside the movement patterns, strength imbalances, and biomechanical factors that contributed to it. Your treatment plan targets both the injury and the root cause — so you return to sport stronger and better prepared than before.

Our sports rehab toolkit includes:

Manual therapy and joint mobilization — restore normal tissue mobility and joint mechanics

Dry needling — release trigger points and muscle tightness from guarding and compensatory patterns

Focused shockwave therapy — accelerate healing in chronic tendon conditions like Achilles and patellar tendinopathy

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training — safely rebuild muscle strength without loading an injured joint

Class IV laser therapy — reduce inflammation and accelerate tissue healing

IASTM — break down scar tissue and restore soft tissue mobility after injury

VALD HumanTrak movement assessment — objective, 3D analysis of movement quality and symmetry to guide return-to-sport decisions

TPI Golf Performance Screen — for golfers, connecting physical limitations to swing faults

Sport-specific functional training — progressive return-to-activity programming

Ear pain or a sensation of fullness — in the ears (without infection)

Return-to-Sport Clearance

One of the most important — and most underappreciated — phases of sports rehabilitation is return-to-sport clearance. Returning too soon dramatically increases the risk of re-injury. At Healing Star PT, we use objective criteria — not just symptom resolution — to determine when you’re truly ready to return. Our VALD HumanTrak system provides measurable, side-to-side symmetry data that takes the guesswork out of clearance decisions.

We Treat Athletes of All Ages and Levels

  • Youth and high school athletes (sports physicals, injury prevention, in-season care)
  • College and elite competitive athletes
  • Adult recreational athletes and weekend warriors
  • Masters and senior athletes
  • Golfers — TPI-certified screen and golf-specific rehabilitation

Do I Need a Referral?

New Jersey is a direct-access state — you can begin physical therapy without a physician’s referral. If you’ve had imaging (MRI, X-ray) or are working with a sports medicine physician or orthopedic surgeon, we are happy to coordinate your care.

Eatontown, NJ: 145 Wyckoff Rd, Suite 102 — (848) 208-2721

Freehold, NJ: 501 Iron Bridge Road, Suite 2 — (732) 272-1438

Ready to experience the Healing Star difference?

Book an appointment and take the first step toward feeling better.

Request an appointment(848) 208-2721