Common Sports Injuries in El Paso: Causes, Treatments, and Recovery Options

El Paso is a busy city with many people enjoying outdoor activities and sports. The sunny weather, desert terrain, and local favorites like running, soccer, basketball, and football make it a great place for staying active. But these activities can lead to injuries in the muscles, bones, joints, and ligaments—known as musculoskeletal injuries. Heat, dry air, and uneven ground can worsen these problems by causing dehydration or increased stress on the body.

Many athletes and weekend warriors in El Paso deal with similar issues. Understanding these common injuries helps people recover faster and return to their activities safely.

Most Common Sports Injuries Seen in El Paso

Sports injuries often occur from sudden movements, overuse, or contact. In El Paso, the hot climate and rocky trails add extra risks, such as faster fatigue or slips.

Here are some of the top injuries:

• Sprains and Strains: A sprain occurs when ligaments (tissues that connect bones) stretch or tear. A strain affects muscles or tendons. Ankle sprains are very common in soccer and basketball, while hamstring strains happen in running or football (El Paso Center for Family and Sports Medicine, n.d.; Texas Spine Clinic, n.d.).
• Knee Problems: These include ACL tears (a key ligament in the knee), meniscus tears (cartilage damage), and conditions like runner’s knee or jumper’s knee from repeated impact. Jumping, quick turns, or landing wrong often cause them (Spectrum Therapy Consultants, n.d.; National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, 2023).
• Tendonitis: Inflammation in tendons, such as tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), golfer’s elbow, or Achilles tendonitis. Repetitive motions in sports like baseball or running lead to this (Woodlands Sports Medicine, n.d.; Desert Institute of Sports Medicine, n.d.).
• Shin Splints and Stress Fractures: Pain along the shin bone from overuse, common in runners on hard or uneven surfaces. Stress fractures are tiny bone cracks, often in the foot or lower leg (El Paso Center for Family and Sports Medicine, n.d.).
• Rotator Cuff Issues and Shoulder Problems: Tears or strains in shoulder muscles/tendons, seen in throwing sports or basketball.
• Hip Labral Tears and Lower Back Strains: Hip tears from twisting moves and back strains from lifting or bending (Ortho Spine Centers, n.d.).
• Other issues, such as golfer’s elbow, wrist problems, and groin pulls, also often occur.

These injuries can range from mild (healing with rest) to serious (needing medical help).

Why These Injuries Happen More in El Paso

Local factors play a big role:

• Popular Sports: Football, soccer, basketball, and running are big here, involving quick stops, jumps, and contact that stress knees, ankles, and backs.
• Terrain and Weather: Rocky trails for hiking/running increase the risk of twists. Extreme heat causes dehydration, making muscles tighter and more prone to injury. A lack of warm-up on cold mornings or hot afternoons increases the risk (Carlos Gonzalez, MD, n.d.).
• Overuse: Many people train intensely without enough rest, leading to tendonitis or shin splints.

Proper warm-ups, hydration, and shoes help prevent many issues.

How Chiropractic Care Helps with Recovery

Chiropractic care focuses on the spine and joints to improve movement and reduce pain without surgery or strong drugs. For sports injuries, chiropractors use gentle adjustments to correct misalignments, reduce inflammation, and support the body’s natural healing.

Benefits include:

• Better joint mobility and flexibility.
• Less pain in areas like the back, neck, knees, or shoulders.
• Faster recovery by improving blood flow and nerve function.
• Help prevent future injuries through better posture and balance (Vista Hills Chiropractic, n.d.; West Texas Chiropractic, n.d.).

In El Paso, chiropractors often treat athletes for sprains, strains, rotator cuff problems, and knee issues with adjustments and rehab exercises.

The Role of Nurse Practitioners in Sports Injury Care

Nurse practitioners (NPs) give complete care, like doctors. They can diagnose injuries, order tests (X-rays or MRIs), manage pain, prescribe meds if needed, and coordinate treatments.

In sports medicine, NPs focus on the whole person—not just the injury. This holistic approach considers nutrition, lifestyle, and prevention to improve performance and prevent recurring problems.

NPs often:

• Do initial exams and create recovery plans.
• Suggest physical therapy or advanced options like injections.
• Guide return-to-play safely.
• Use functional medicine to identify root causes, such as poor nutrition or hormonal issues (Jimenez, n.d.).

This integrated care makes recovery smoother and more effective.

Advanced Treatments: Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy

One modern option is PRP therapy. Doctors take blood from the patient, spin it to concentrate platelets (healing factors), and inject it into the injured area.

PRP helps with:

• Tendonitis (Achilles, tennis elbow).
• Ligament sprains and knee injuries.
• Osteoarthritis or rotator cuff tears.

Many pro athletes use PRP for faster healing without surgery (Desert Institute of Sports Medicine, n.d.).

In El Paso, clinics offer PRP as part of sports medicine plans.

Integrated Care: The Best Approach for Full Recovery

The strongest recovery comes from teaming up different experts. Dr. Alexander Jimenez, DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP, leads this approach in El Paso. With over 30 years of experience, he combines chiropractic adjustments, nurse practitioner diagnostics, functional medicine, and rehab.

His observations show great results for athletes. For example, a person with a knee injury might start with an NP exam for diagnosis and functional medicine (checking nutrition or inflammation causes). Then, chiropractic adjustments align the spine and joints to support healing. Physical therapy builds strength, and PRP speeds tissue repair if needed.

This coordinated plan restores function, boosts performance, and lowers re-injury risk (Jimenez, n.d.; Injury Medical & Chiropractic Clinic, n.d.).

Patient stories highlight relief from back pain after sports, better mobility from knee issues, and quick returns to activity.

Prevention Tips to Stay Injury-Free

Preventing injuries is easier than treating them. Simple steps help:

• Always warm up and stretch before activity.
• Use proper gear, like supportive shoes.
• Stay hydrated, especially in El Paso’s heat.
• Build strength and flexibility gradually.
• Rest when needed to avoid overuse.
• Get regular check-ups from a chiropractor or sports medicine professional.

Following these keeps people active longer.

Getting Help in El Paso

If hurt, see a specialist soon. Options include chiropractic for natural alignment, NPs for full diagnostics, or integrated clinics for combined care.

Experts like those at Desert Institute of Sports Medicine or Dr. Jimenez’s clinic offer personalized plans with chiropractic, PT, and PRP.

Early care leads to better outcomes and stronger comebacks.

---

References

Carlos Gonzalez, MD. (n.d.). Sports medicine El Paso. https://www.carlosgonzalezmd.com/sports-medicine-el-paso.html

Desert Institute of Sports Medicine. (n.d.). Services. https://desertinstituteep.com/services-1

El Paso Center for Family and Sports Medicine. (n.d.). Musculoskeletal injuries. https://www.elpasocenterfamilyandsportsmed.com/services/musculoskeletal-injuries

Injury Medical & Chiropractic Clinic. (n.d.). Dr. Alexander Jimenez’s profile. https://dralexjimenez.com/

Jimenez, A. (n.d.). Injury specialists and sports injury treatment. https://dralexjimenez.com/

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. (2023). Sports injuries. https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/sports-injuries

Ortho Spine Centers. (n.d.). Understanding common spring sports injuries. https://orthospinecenters.com/understanding-common-spring-sports-injuries-prevention-techniques-and-the-role-of-the-musculoskeletal-system/

Spectrum Therapy Consultants. (n.d.). Sports injuries. https://spectrumtherapyconsultants.com/physical-therapy-services/sports-injuries/

Texas Spine Clinic. (n.d.). Sports injuries. https://www.texasspineclinic.com/sports-injuries/

Vista Hills Chiropractic. (n.d.). Sports injury. https://www.vistahillschiropracticelpasotx.com/sports-injury

West Texas Chiropractic. (n.d.). Sports and chiropractic. https://www.westtexaschiropractic.com/treatments/sports-and-chiropractic/

Woodlands Sports Medicine. (n.d.). 6 common sports injuries. https://www.woodlandssportsmedicine.com/blog/6-common-sports-injuries