Whether you’re hurting from a sports injury or looking for advice to perfect your form, you can get expert care from the team at Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery. Our sports medicine specialists provide a variety of services for adults and youths, including injury evaluation, treatment and prevention.
Reviewed 10/6/2022
Treating sports injuries. Mild strains and sprains can benefit from initial treatment at home using the R.I.C.E. method.
Using the R.I.C.E. method is a good first treatment for mild sprains or strains. The benefits include pain relief, reduced inflammation and faster healing.
Start R.I.C.E. right after a mild sprain or strain. Continue for at least 48 hours.
Keep scrolling to learn how to use R.I.C.E.
REST
- Reduce your activity as needed.
- Use crutches if you need to.
ICE
- Put ice on right away to keep the swelling down.
- Use ice for 20 minutes at a time, 4 to 8 times a day.
- You can use a cold pack, an ice bag, or a plastic bag filled with crushed ice and wrapped in a towel.
COMPRESSION
ELEVATION
- Keep the injured area elevated on a pillow above the level of your heart, if possible. This will help reduce swelling.
GET HELP IF:
- The injury causes severe pain, swelling or numbness.
- You can't put any weight on the injured area.
- The pain or ache of an old injury is accompanied by increased swelling or joint abnormality or instability.
- Pain or other symptoms worsen after using R.I.C.E.
NEED CRUTCHES AFTER AN INJURY? FIND OUT HOW TO USE THEM SAFELY.
Sources: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Sources
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. "Sprained Ankle." https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/sprained-ankle.
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. "Sprains, Strains and Other Soft-Tissue Injuries." https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/sprains-strains-and-other-soft-tissue-injuries.
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. "Sports Injuries: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Steps to Take." https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/sports-injuries/diagnosis-treatment-and-steps-to-take.
Our sports medicine team
Our sports medicine providers are highly skilled and dedicated to our community. They include:
Experienced sports medicine providers. Our board-certified orthopedic surgeons, family medicine doctor and physician assistants specialize in sports medicine and have expertise in the most advanced, least-invasive treatment techniques.
Certified athletic trainers. Our athletic trainers serve student athletes and local sports teams. They’re skilled in the prevention of sports injuries and the management of athletes’ health and well-being. They also help rehabilitate injured athletes and work with players both on and off the field.
Our experts evaluate and treat all sports injuries, including concussions, rotator cuff problems, Achilles tendon tears, ankle sprains and injured knees. Our care often starts with conservative measures, such as physical therapy. But if you need surgery, we can help you with that too. Our orthopaedic surgeons are skilled in everything from shoulder and hand surgery to knee and hip replacement.
Monday morning care for weekend injuries
Many sports injuries happen suddenly, and they often occur on the weekends. If you’ve experienced a weekend sports injury, you can visit our Camden Campus Injury Clinic on Monday mornings, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The clinic — located at Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery in St. Marys — is staffed by one of our orthopaedic sports medicine doctors. Walk-ins are welcome.
Sports injury prevention
In addition to helping you return to play as safely and as quickly as possible, we can also help you avoid injuries. Our experts offer injury prevention advice and develop conditioning programs. We also offer sports physicals to help ensure the health and safety of student athletes.
Learn more about sports injury prevention.
Athletic training services for schools and community sports groups
We have a tradition of providing athletic trainer services to Glynn County high schools as well as to Brantley County High School, McIntosh County Academy, Frederica Academy and the College of Coastal Georgia. These services include practice and athletic event coverage and daily athletic training room hours.
We offer athletic trainer services to local youth and community sports organizations too. These include:
Special event coverage. We can provide athletic training services for your event or tournament. This ensures that every athlete attending your event has the best care available, should injuries occur.
Concussion care. Athletic trainers and one of our sports medicine-trained physicians offer concussion evaluations and treatments.
Sports medicine education. We offer an athletic trainer aide program that introduces high school students to careers in sports medicine.
Meet our trainers
Team Lead
Rebecca Joyner, MS, ATC, PES, ITAT, has been a certified athletic trainer for the Southeast Georgia Health System Sports Medicine Program since 2006. A Pennsylvania native, Rebecca attained her undergraduate degree in 2004 from the University of Pittsburgh. In 2006, she obtained a Master of Science degree in athletic training from California University of Pennsylvania (Cal U). While at Cal U, she obtained a Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and served as a graduate assistant at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, PA. In 2015, Rebecca completed her certification as an ImPact Trainer Athletic Trainer (ITAT). Rebecca currently specializes in concussion management and Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) return to play rehabilitation.
Brantley County High School
Mollie Borcherding, MS, ATC, originally from southern Indiana, obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training Applied Medicine and Rehabilitation with a minor in Massage Therapy at Indiana State University in 2019. She furthered her education by obtaining a Master of Science in Athletic Training from Xavier University in 2021. Mollie is new to the area and currently works as the certified athletic trainer at Brantley County High School. She is planning on furthering her education by obtaining her certification as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).
Brunswick High School
Chantal Pierre, ATC, has been a certified athletic trainer for the Southeast Georgia Health System Sports Medicine Program since 2007. A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Chantal attained her undergrad degree at Florida State University, majoring in Exercise Science with an emphasis in Athletic Training. Prior to joining the Health System, Chantal worked with athletic training programs at Florida Atlantic University and Tallahassee Community College. She offers injury prevention, management, rehabilitation and education to athletes in all sports at Brunswick High School. In addition, she serves as the lead for the Health System’s annual Student Athletic Trainer Program and summer camp, a program geared toward high school students who are interested in pursuing a career in sports medicine.
Frederica Academy
Adam Norman, MS, ATC, obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He furthered his education, obtaining his Master of Science with an emphasis on sports medicine from the University of North Georgia. In 2018, Adam joined the Southeast Georgia Health System Sports Medicine Program and is the athletic trainer for Frederica Academy. Some of his accomplishments include being named Southern Professional Hockey League Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2017 and being a contributing author in Taping, Wrapping, and Bracing for Athletic Trainers. He is currently finalizing a research project for publication in health care journals.
Glynn Academy
Amanda Burton, MS, ATC, is a native of the Greater Cincinnati region and obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from Eastern Kentucky University in 2014. She furthered her education by obtaining a Master of Science in Physical Education with an emphasis in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from the University of North Georgia in 2016. Amanda is new to the area and currently works as the certified athletic trainer at Glynn Academy through the Southeast Georgia Health System Sports Medicine Program. Prior to joining the Health System, Amanda worked for an orthopaedic clinic in Northern Kentucky. Amanda is proud of being a contributing author on a book: Taping, Wrapping, and Bracing for Athletic Trainers.
McIntosh County Academy
Shonta Houston, ATC, PTA, attended Georgia Southern University, where she double majored in athletic training and exercise science, allowing her to work as a student athletic trainer for numerous collegiate and high school sports. Shonta joined the Southeast Georgia Health System Sports Medicine Program in 2017. She had been an athletic trainer at McIntosh County Academy since 2014, and continued to provide her services after joining the Health System. In 2019, she furthered her education by obtaining a physical therapy assistant degree from Kent State University at Ashtabula.
College of Coastal Georgia
Bridget White, ATC, ITAT, attended North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, where she majored in athletic training and minored in psychology, allowing her to work as a student athletic trainer for numerous collegiate and high school sports. She has been a certified athletic trainer since 2017 and joined the Southeast Georgia Health System Sports Medicine Program in 2022, providing athletic training services at the College of Coastal Georgia. Bridget is an impact trained athletic trainer (ITAT) giving her more specialization in concussion management as well as is M1 certified in The Graston Technique for soft tissue treatment. Bridget is also an instructor for Basic Life Support Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (BLS CPR) and Stop the Bleed.
College of Coastal Georgia
Renita Wheeler, ATC, a Miami, Florida native, received her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Barry University in 2013. After graduating, she managed to keep some of South Florida’s and Arizona’s most competitive athletes in play. Renita worked in Arizona; sharing time between Walden Grove High School in Sahuarita and the University of Arizona in Tucson. She joined the Southeast Georgia Health System Sports Medicine Program in 2022 providing her services at the College of Coastal Georgia. Renita specializes in injury prevention, sports performance, developing return to play programs and emergency care. When asked about her goals, she replied: when she hangs up her kit, she will have left athletic training better than she found it.
For more information about athletic trainer services, supplies and pricing, call 912-466-5399.
Make an appointment with a sports medicine doctor
To make an appointment with a sports medicine doctor, call one of our locations:
- Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery (Brunswick Campus): 912-466-7340
- Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery (Camden Campus): 912-576-6355