FAQ

Expand Close All

Primary Care Sports Medicine (PCSM) physicians are specialists who have completed additional fellowship training in the field of Sports Medicine. This involves specialized training in both the treatment and prevention of illness and injury of the athlete. In addition, many sports medicine physicians serve as team physicians for local sports teams, college teams or professional teams. Sports medicine physicians have typically completed training in a residency of: Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, or Orthopedic Surgery. Dr. Hammonds is Board Certified in Family Medicine & Lifestyle Medicine in addition to Primary Care Sports Medicine.

Athletes come in all ages and abilities. Our focus is to get you back to the things you love to do, whether that is a high school, college or professional sport or being able to walk the dog with minimal to no pain. Whether you are a “weekend warrior”, an “industrial athlete” or a competitive athlete, we use the same expertise to return you as quickly as possible to full function.

Our patients range from school age to over 100 years old.
At Restore Sports Medicine, we have extensive training in all aspects of musculoskeletal medicine as well as general medical concerns of the athlete. This means we can treat any joint or muscle throughout the body. We also treat concussion head injuries, nerve injuries (such as carpal tunnel syndrome and sciatica), auricular hematomas (which can develop into cauliflower ear), muscle hematomas, ganglion cysts, or other systemic issues that are affecting an athlete. If you are experiencing pain or a decline in performance, we are happy to evaluate you and work with you to get you back to the activities you love to do with minimal to no pain.
A common question as all injuries don’t necessarily need treatment and may respond to a few days of rest, ice and mobility exercises. If you are active in season or sport training and are experiencing pain or have a concern that is persistent for weeks, months or years, we encourage you to make an appointment. For sports concussions, we recommend you seek care soon after the injury as we can assess and help with school modifications as well as get you on the road to recovery as soon as it is safe to do so. Overall, don’t let painkeep you from doing the things you love. We are dedicated to helping you get back to activities in a timely manner.
We accept most major insurances. Although, some of our treatments are not covered by insurance and are cash pay. After your initial assessment, we will discuss all treatment options for your specific concern or diagnosis and assist you in determining the most cost-effective plan unique to you.
Regenerative orthopedic medicine (R.O.M.), also known as Orthobiologics, uses PRP or cell therapy to help support the bodies healing process. Often these are chronic injuries that the body has failed to repair correctly. These injections are derived from a blood draw from your own body and contain growth factors, growth factor stimulants and proteins that activate the bodies’ ability to repair the injured area, stabilize stretched or injured ligaments and reduce or eliminate pain. Most importantly, these procedures improve the function of your injured or degenerative tendon, ligament, and/or joint!
Steroid (a.k.a. cortisone or corticosteroid) injections are widely used for orthopedic concerns. Unfortunately, these interventions only work short term and have been shown in studies to have degenerative effects on the tissue (can cause further break down of the joint or tendon). In contrast, regenerative orthopedic medicine injections actually work to support the healing process, recruiting the beneficial aspects of natural inflammation and facilitate healthy restoration of the injured area. Rather than further breakdown, theseinterventions potentially slow the degeneration of the joint and tendon.
This depends on the specific tissue and condition being treated. For tendon procedures, many will see results within 4-6 weeks, but will continue to have remodeling and healing for many months afterwards. One important note for tendon healing is it MUST be paired with progressive loading exercises for best outcomes. We will guide you through these protocols to maximize your healing potential. For most, these procedures actually heal the injured tissue so the results should be long-lasting.
For joint injections for arthritis, many may begin to have some relief within weeks. You will have a few days of soreness after the injections. It is important to note that PRP will not reverse or cure osteoarthritis. However, it may slow the progression and allow you to improve your quality of life. Many people report results lasting close to 12 months. During your appointment, Dr. Hammonds will perform a thorough physical examination, review your imaging and evaluate with musculoskeletal ultrasound (if indicated) as part of a process to guide you to the best treatment option with your goals in mind.
Dr. Hammonds takes measures to make these procedures as painless as possible. The area is anesthetized (numbed) prior to the procedure which will provide pain relief for a few hours after the procedures. In addition, these procedures are done under skilled ultrasound guidance which helps to guide the needle to the area of treatment but also makes for less discomfort.
Compared to conventional steroid injections, there are actually far less adverse effects with regenerative medicine injections. As with any injections, there is a small risk of infection. At Restore Sports Medicine, we utilize aseptic technique to reduce the risk of infection. Since these injections do recruit healthy inflammatory cells, many patients will experience aching and throbbing-type pain for a few days following the procedure. These subside within a few days.
Most insurance companies consider regenerative orthopedic medicine treatments as experimental and will therefore not pay for them. These procedures have been around for well over a decade. The evidence for select indications and patient populations is quite robust. Though there is evidence, the protocols are not yet standardized so few insurances are covering these procedures at current. Unfortunately, there has been a number of “stem cell clinics” across the nation, falsely advertising the benefits of what their treatments are and what they can do as well as advertising that they are medicare covered services. Many of these clinics use birth products (ie: amniotic fluid, placenta tissue, umbilical cord tissue, Wharton’s jelly tissue) which after cleansing and purification processes do not have the presence of any active stem cells. Due to many adverse reactions, the FDA stepped in to regulate this situation June of 2021. At Restore Sports Medicine, it is our priority to stay abreast of the latest research and techniques in regenerative medicine so we can guide you to the safest and most effective interventions to achieve your realistic goals. Due to these controversies, all regenerative orthopedic injections at Restore Sports Medicine come from your own body. 
When patients are appropriately selected for these treatments, the overall results have been quite promising with many results lasting close to a year or more depending on the specific pathology and intervention. It is important to note that these results are very dependent on determining the appropriate diagnosis, treatment preparation process, use of image guidance (ultrasound or fluoroscopy) and post procedure rehabilitation. Our goal is to meet you where you are and find a treatment plan that provides the most cost-effective long term results to guide you on the path to improved overall health and function. Assessing underlying muscle mismatch and biomechanics is an integral part of our assessment and treatment plan. We work closely in collaboration with our local community physical and occupational therapists to address any underlying issues or concerns.
Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses therapeutic lifestyle interventions to treat chronic conditions. Lifestyle medicine certified clinicians are trained to apply evidence-based, whole person, prescriptive lifestyle change to treat and, when used intensively, often reverse many conditions. The six pillars of lifestyle medicine are: a whole-food plant-predominant eating pattern, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances and positive social connections. Dr. Hammonds views each patient through the lens of the lifestyle medicine mindset and will guide them through lifestyle changes when necessary, that will help address their concerns. 
Go Top