Sports Medicine Care for Athletes and Active Patients
Sports medicine is a board-certified specialty focused on the diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of musculoskeletal injuries, particularly in active people. It sits in a part of the healthcare system most patients don’t know exists, somewhere between primary care, physical therapy, and orthopedic surgery, and it’s often the right starting point for an athlete or active patient who is hurting.
Sports medicine care at this practice is provided by Dr. Jessica Zarndt, a board-certified sports medicine physician, Head Team Physician for the Las Vegas Aces, and Team Physician for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Is Sports Medicine the Right Fit for You?
You’ve already changed how you train. You’ve shortened your runs, dropped your league, modified your workouts. Maybe you’ve already seen urgent care or primary care and didn’t get a clear answer. Maybe you got an answer, but no real plan. Maybe you got a referral to a surgeon when you weren’t ready for that conversation yet.
Sports medicine care may be the right next step if:
- You have a sports injury, joint pain, or tendon pain that’s getting worse, not better
- You’ve been told to rest but no one has told you what’s actually wrong
- You have a goal on the calendar (a race, a season, a comeback) and you need a plan, not just a diagnosis
- You’re a youth athlete or the parent of one, and the local pediatric orthopedic options have been limited
- You’re an active woman who wants a physician who understands female athlete physiology
- You’re a master’s athlete or weekend warrior whose body is changing and you want to keep moving
- You’ve had surgery and still have pain, or want to avoid surgery if there’s another path
The patients who come through the door range widely: collegiate runners, marathoners and ultra runners, high school athletes across every sport, youth basketball and soccer players, pickleball players, hikers, cyclists, triathletes, and anyone whose identity includes the word “active” and intends to keep it that way.
What Sports Medicine Actually Is
Most patients don’t know what a non-surgical sports medicine physician is. They assume sports medicine equals orthopedic surgery, which isn’t quite right.
A sports medicine physician completes a primary care or physical medicine residency followed by a sports medicine fellowship. The fellowship adds training in musculoskeletal ultrasound, injection procedures, biomechanics, return-to-sport decision making, and the specific injury patterns that affect athletes at every level. Board certification follows. The role is to diagnose musculoskeletal problems accurately, treat them non-surgically when possible, and coordinate care when other specialists need to be involved.
What sports medicine includes. Diagnosis-first care for athletes and active patients. In-office ultrasound and X-ray. Ultrasound-guided injections, including PRP, hyaluronic acid, and tenotomy procedures. Return-to-activity planning. Coordination with physical therapy, strength and conditioning, and orthopedic surgery when needed. Care for the whole athlete, including overuse patterns, training load, and the questions a fifteen-minute primary care visit can’t get to.
What it doesn’t include. Surgery. A sports medicine physician doesn’t perform ACL reconstructions or rotator cuff repairs. The role is to figure out whether you need surgery in the first place, and if you don’t, to actually treat the problem rather than passing you along.
Why this matters. Most patients with sports injuries get sent to a surgeon by default. Surgeons are excellent at the problems that require surgery. But the majority of sports injuries don’t need surgery, and treating them non-surgically often gets better results than operating on a problem that didn’t require it.
Who She Treats
Dr. Zarndt treats active patients ages ten and up, across every level from recreational to professional.
Youth and high school athletes. There is a real shortage of pediatric and adolescent sports medicine in Las Vegas. Most pediatric orthopedic practices are full or surgery-focused, leaving families with limited options for the ten-year-old with knee pain from soccer, the high school runner with shin splints, or the teenage volleyball player with shoulder pain. Care here includes the conversation parents actually want: what’s going on, what’s the plan, when can they play, and what should they not be doing in the meantime.
Collegiate and adult competitive athletes. Marathoners, ultra runners, triathletes, basketball, soccer, hockey, baseball, softball, and combat sport athletes. Care is built around the season, the race calendar, and the specific demands of the sport, not a generic recommendation to rest six weeks.
Weekend warriors and master’s athletes. The pickleball player whose elbow won’t quit. The runner whose knee started complaining at forty. The lifter whose shoulder is grinding. These patients aren’t trying to make a pro roster. They’re trying to keep doing what they love for another twenty or thirty years, and the plan reflects that.
Female athletes. Female sports medicine has its own physiology, its own injury patterns, and its own under-researched corners. Higher rates of ACL injury, different bone density considerations, different recovery patterns. Dr. Zarndt is one of very few female sports medicine physicians in Las Vegas, and many of her patients come specifically for that.
Conditions Treated
Dr. Zarndt treats joint and tendon problems in the wrist, elbow, shoulder, knee, ankle, and hip.
Sports injuries
- Sprains, strains, and acute joint injuries
- Meniscus injuries
- Ligament injuries that don’t require surgery
- Cartilage injuries
- Stress reactions and stress fractures
- Concussion (initial evaluation and return to play)
Overuse and tendon conditions
- Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow
- Rotator cuff tendinopathy
- Patellar tendinopathy (jumper’s knee)
- Achilles tendinopathy
- Hamstring and hip tendinopathy
- Plantar fasciitis
- Shin splints and medial tibial stress syndrome
Arthritis and chronic joint pain
- Knee, hip, shoulder, and ankle osteoarthritis
- Post-surgical pain
- Pain after repeated ankle sprains
- Joint pain without a clear diagnosis
If you’re not sure what’s actually wrong, that’s part of what the first visit is for. Diagnosis comes first. Treatment follows.
What Makes This Practice Different
Three things shape the experience here.
On-site imaging during the visit. In-office ultrasound and X-ray, interpreted by Dr. Zarndt during the same appointment. You don’t get sent to another building and brought back next week to discuss results. For most sports injuries, ultrasound shows things an MRI can’t (tendon dynamics, joint motion under load) and shows them in real time, with you watching the screen.
A team physician’s perspective on return to sport. Treating professional athletes for the Las Vegas Aces, the Raiders, the LA Dodgers, and UCLA Athletics shapes how a physician thinks about return-to-activity timelines. The framework used for an athlete trying to make a roster is the same one used for a weekend pickleball player: what does the tissue need, what does the sport demand, and how do we close the gap. That framework comes with you whether you’re a pro, a high schooler, or somewhere in between.
Honest about when surgery is the right answer. Most sports injuries don’t need surgery. But some do. If a referral to a surgeon is the right next move, you’ll hear that directly, along with a referral to a surgeon Dr. Zarndt trusts.
How Sports Medicine Compares to Other Specialists
Most patients don’t know which door to walk through and end up at the wrong one. A quick guide.
Sports medicine vs. primary care. Primary care is excellent for general health, but typically doesn’t include musculoskeletal ultrasound, injection procedures, or sport-specific return-to-activity planning. A fifteen-minute primary care visit can rule out emergencies and prescribe anti-inflammatories. It usually can’t diagnose tendinopathy with ultrasound, perform a guided injection, or plan a marathon return.
Sports medicine vs. orthopedic surgery. Orthopedic surgeons are essential for problems that require surgery. They are not always the right starting point for an active patient with pain. Sports medicine is non-surgical care designed to figure out whether surgery is necessary in the first place, and to treat the problem fully when it isn’t.
Sports medicine vs. physical therapy. Physical therapy is a critical part of recovery from almost every sports injury, and a good sports medicine plan usually includes it. Physical therapists treat. Physicians diagnose, image, perform procedures, and prescribe medication. The two work together. Sports medicine is often the right starting point when you need a diagnosis before therapy can target the right problem.
Sports medicine vs. urgent care. Urgent care is for acute injuries that need immediate evaluation: possible fractures, lacerations, suspected dislocations. It’s not built for chronic pain, second opinions, or the return-to-sport plan.
Cost and Insurance
Sports medicine consultations and most procedures are covered by commercial insurance and Medicare. Specific cash-pay procedures (PRP and combined PRP with hyaluronic acid) are detailed on their own pages. Work comp is accepted for related injuries.
Call the office and we’ll verify your benefits before scheduling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a sports medicine doctor and an orthopedic surgeon? A sports medicine physician focuses on non-surgical diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal problems. An orthopedic surgeon focuses on operative treatment. Both have valid roles. Sports medicine is often the right starting point because most sports injuries don’t actually need surgery.
Do I need a referral to see a sports medicine physician? Most insurance plans don’t require a referral for sports medicine, though some do. The office can verify your specific plan when you call to schedule.
My child plays sports and has knee pain. Are they too young to be seen? Patients are seen starting at age ten. Youth and adolescent sports medicine is an underserved area in Las Vegas, and many of the patients here are in this age range.
Do you treat back or neck pain? Yes, I treat back and neck pain. If injections are warranted, these would be referred to a pain or spine specialist.
I had surgery and still have pain. Can you help? Often yes. Post-surgical pain that hasn’t resolved is one of the more common reasons patients come in. The evaluation looks at why the pain is still there and what options exist to address it.
I’m training for a marathon. Will I have to stop running? Not always. Many running injuries can be managed with modifications rather than a full stop. The plan depends on the injury, the race date, and what the tissue actually needs. Sometimes the answer is “keep running with adjustments.” Sometimes it’s “take two weeks now to avoid taking two months later.” You’ll get a direct answer based on your situation.
Does insurance cover sports medicine visits? Yes, in most cases. Specific procedures like PRP are cash-pay, but the consultation, evaluation, imaging, and most other treatments are covered by commercial insurance and Medicare.
What should I bring to my first appointment? Any prior imaging on disc or accessible through a portal (X-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds), a list of treatments you’ve already tried, and any specific goals or events you’re working toward. The more information available, the more useful the first visit.
Can you order imaging if I need it? Yes. In-office ultrasound and X-ray are available during the visit. If you need an MRI or other advanced imaging, it can be ordered directly.
How quickly can I be seen? Availability varies. Call the office for current scheduling.
A Plan That Gets You Back to Your Sport
Most patients here have already been told to rest, ice, or wait. That isn’t a plan. A consultation includes a real diagnosis, on-site imaging when needed, and a treatment approach built around what you’re actually trying to get back to, whether that’s your next race, your next season, your weekend pickleball game, or just the activity level you had before things started hurting.