Celebrating its 10th anniversary, UI Sports Medicine Clinic continues to grow

As it enters its second decade of service, the University of Iowa Sports Medicine Clinic continues to seek out new ways to benefit active people of all ages and skill levels.

“The first decade has been very successful for us,” says orthopedic surgeon Brian Wolf, MD, MS, who serves as director of University of Iowa Sports Medicine and head team physician for University of Iowa Athletics. “We plan to grow and provide even more services over the next decade to come.”

The University of Iowa Department of Orthopedics opened the UI Sports Medicine Clinic in October 2009 in response to the growing need in our community for specialized care for athletes and other active people. The spacious, modern facility gave the public immediate, convenient, one-stop access to sports medicine care from the same physicians, athletic trainers, and physical therapists who treat the University of Iowa Hawkeyes sports teams.

“We continue to explore the big picture of sports medicine so that we can expand our services to cover everything active people and athletes need,” Wolf says. “A couple of the areas we’re excited about possibly expanding into are nutrition education and the mental health side of sports, such as sports psychology.”

Wolf says the clinic has already shown its ability to grow in response to the community’s sports medicine needs. Recent examples include expanding availability and expertise in significant ways, including:

• Offering same-day and next-day appointments for quicker attention to injuries
• Expanding clinic hours into the evening Mondays through Thursdays to offer more convenience for people who are at work or in school during normal business hours
• Bolstering its offering of specialized services by adding faculty with training in:
  • Bone health
  • Women’s health
  • Concussion
  • Foot and ankle care
  • Care for runners
  • Ultrasound
  • Injection/regenerative medicine
  • Hip disorders

Wolf says bringing all of those services under one roof is a significant advantage for patients, who receive personalized treatment and rehabilitation programs at one easy-to-reach location.

“All of our clinic physicians are trained in sports medicine, but some also have appointments in other disciplines, like pediatrics, emergency medicine, and family medicine,” Wolf says. “They provide expertise that augments the expertise that our orthopedic surgeons offer.”

UI Sports Medicine clinic faculty are also active researchers who stay informed about the latest techniques and technology available in the field of sports medicine. New approaches to healing are already available at UI Sports Medicine, including groundbreaking therapies for treating damaged tendons with ultrasound or with platelet-rich plasma.

The clinic also offers:

• MRI, X-ray, and diagnostic ultrasound services
• State-of-the-art rehabilitation, with underwater and gravity-reducing treadmills and a hydrotherapy pool
• Athletic shoe modification and bracing
• Custom orthotics and prosthetics services

The standalone UI Sports Medicine Clinic is conveniently located at 2701 Prairie Meadow Drive in Iowa City, with free parking just steps from the front door.

To schedule an appointment, call 1-319-384-7070 or request an appointment online.