Welcome to the Home Sports Medicine Blog
- Feb 20, 2026
My daughter's emergency room bill
- Deniece Oates
Check out the cost of a real emergency room visit - and then resolve to get clear on what you can do to take care of non-emergency sports injuries at home. Give yourself peace of mind and save yourself a lot of money!
- Jan 28, 2026
Hamstring injury and pelvic misalignment
- Deniece Oates
A common cause of hamstring injury is when the bones of the pelvis are not lined up correctly. One aspect of this misalignment is the hip bone on one side rotates forward and gets stuck in that position. This usually occurs because the hamstring muscles in the back are not strong enough to balance the hip flexor muscles in the front, which become tight from overuse. This problem is common in athletes who kick, sprint, change directions often, or mostly use one leg.
- Jan 14, 2026
Why hamstring injuries keep coming back in young athletes
- Deniece Oates
Hamstring injuries are so common in sports, and often become the bane of young athlete's lives, because they keep coming back. The recurrence rate is as high as 30%, especially in the first two months after returning to play. Why does this keep happening? We'll cover five common reasons.
1-Returning to sport too soon
2-Hamstring strength is low compared to quadriceps strength
3-Weak core muscles over the hamstrings
4-Fatigued muscles tear more easily
5-Pelvic bone misalignment: The overlooked cause of hamstring injuries
- Dec 31, 2025
Pelvic Misalignment: The often overlooked reason behind muscle pain
- Deniece Oates
When the pelvic bones are in a neutral position, the hips and trunk can move through their full range of motion. Muscles are able to work in the way they are supposed to.
This means:
Movement is smooth and efficient
Muscles can produce the right amount of force.
Power and performance are at their best.
In simple terms: the body works better and performs better. Over time, the bones of the pelvis can get stuck slightly out of neutral. This is called pelvic misalignment.
- Dec 18, 2025
Moms, athletes and the ER
- Deniece Oates
“Should we take him to the ER?”
That question made me pause.
From a sports medicine perspective, these injuries were not at all serious enough for an emergency room visit. But from a mom’s perspective, the pain alone felt serious enough to justify it.
Here’s the reality:
If they had gone to the ER, their sons would have likely received a wrap, pain medication, and instructions to follow up with a sports medicine provider once they got home—plus a very expensive bill.
- Sep 26, 2025
Hamstring Injuries Across Youth Sports
- Deniece Oates
Hamstring injuries are very common across many high-performance youth sports, especially those involving sprinting, jumping, cutting, or explosive lower-body movement. I was curious how hamstring injury rates compare with different sports, and between girls and boys. Interestingly, I found there is no statistically significant difference in hamstring injury rates between girls and boys in each sport. Below is a breakdown of hamstring injury rates by sport, along with some interesting notes.
- Jul 17, 2025
High Ankle Sprain Comparison: Diligent application of Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (RICE) in the first 72 hours vs not so diligent application
- DENIECE OATES
In this article I’m going to make the case for really diligently following the principles of Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (RICE) in the first 24-72 hours after any sports injury by comparing the results of two high ankle sprain injuries.
- Jul 4, 2025
Favorite Products: Salonpas Hot Capsicum Patch
- DENIECE OATES
Capsicum is a type of plant that produces chili peppers. Capsaicin, the active ingredient in the patch, is a chemical compound found in capsicum plants that gives the peppers their heat sensation. The adhesive on the back of the patch has capsaicin in it. When the patch is applied to the skin, the capsaicin is absorbed by the body.
- Jun 25, 2025
How to help your athlete perform at their best while playing in a hotter and/or more dry or humid climate than they are used to
- DENIECE OATES
Young athletes playing at elite levels often travel to different areas of the country to compete, encountering climates that are different than they are used to. Proper acclimatization can take
The post How to help your athlete perform at their best while playing in a hotter and/or more dry or humid climate than they are used to appeared first on Home Sports Medicine.
- May 30, 2025
Tired of painful muscles? You for sure have muscle knots, and there are simple solutions.
- DENIECE OATES
Muscle knots are a common source of pain. They occur alongside injury to any part of the body as a part of the body’s normal protective mechanism to avoid further injury. But when you have pain, and there has been no memorable incident of injury, muscle knots are for sure the cause.
- May 20, 2025
How to maximize your child’s performance potential during intense competitions – multiple games in a day, several days in a row
- DENIECE OATES
Playing more than one match per day is hard, but doing it for multiple days in a row is grueling – and a good portion of who wins such a tournament comes down to who can keep performing at a high level without getting sidelined by injury. I’ve just been through such a tournament with a collegiate level team and I’m going to break down for you what it takes.
- May 2, 2025
Taping an ankle vs wearing an ankle brace
- DENIECE OATES
Have you noticed that after you’ve sprained an ankle, it’s so easy to do it again? After an injury, regardless of how minor or severe, the ankle is very vulnerable to re-injury for many months. Ligaments, the structures that hold bones together, take a long time to fully heal. The best way to avoid further injury and still be able to do the activities you want to do is to wear some support on the ankle – either tape the ankle or wear a brace.