Spine, Sports Medicine, Musculoskeletal & Orthopaedic Conditions at RIC

From Walking Across a Room to Running a Marathon, We Focus on Your Goals

Spine and sports medicine is a specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation, which includes physical and occupational therapy. It focuses on the aggressive non-operative management of musculoskeletal conditions, including low back pain, neck pain, ankle/foot pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, running and other athletic injuries. Some of the major areas involved in spine and sports medicine are the elbow, wrist and hand.

Read our Spine & Sports Glossary

How We Help Spine & Sports Injuries

Spine and Sports Rehabilitation Centers are outpatient facilities of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), located in downtown Chicago, Northbrook, River Forest and Elk Grove Village. The care offered at the centers has a strong emphasis on rehabilitation of spine and sports medicine.

At RIC we start with accurate and complete diagnosis by examining an individual's history carefully and our physiatrists and therapists do the appropriate diagnostic testing. We focus on the cause and effect relationships of all parts of the body and develop a mechanical diagnosis and treatment, using the kinetic chain approach, which considers joints above and below the area that hurts, not just the site of pain. We also use MRI, Electrodiagnostic testing, x-ray and diagnostic ultrasound to diagnose. Frequently, looking at body parts beyond the exact location of the pain is required to arrive at a complete biomechanical diagnosis.

We focus on patients' specific functional goals, whether it be walking across room or running the marathon. The patients we treat range from weekend warriors to recreational and elite athletes of all ages. We also treat people who may be more disabled by their pain or have other complex medical conditions. Our goal is to facilitate recovery to desired function and to educate about injury prevention and wellness.

Back Injury & Back Pain

RIC provides services for patients of all ages requiring physical rehabilitation services for back, neck and other musculoskeletal conditions, which include sports and work-related injuries.

Customized treatment plans are developed using state-of-the-art equipment and diagnostic tools. Comprehensive care plans employ a kinetic chain approach that treats the person, not the diagnosis, with the over-riding goal being to help the patient manage their condition more effectively. In addition to facilitating recovery, emphasis is also placed on prevention of re-injury.

The treatment plan comprises not only medical care and specialized therapies (physical, occupational, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic and spinal injection) but may also incorporate athletic training and orthotics.

Spine and Sports Rehabilitation Centers are outpatient facilities of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, located in downtown Chicago, Northbrook, and River Forest with a strong emphasis on rehabilitation of musculoskeletal conditions and sports medicine. Comprehensive musculoskeletal services are also offered at several other RIC locations.

For more information, call our Toll-Free Referral and Information Line: 1-800-354-REHAB (7342), or visit the locations page of our Web site .