Frequently Asked Questions

To schedule online, choose your provider on our Set Up An Appointment page. You can also call our front office at (435) 275-6203. If you're not sure which type of visit you need, just call — our team will point you in the right direction.

In most cases, no — you can schedule directly with us for both sports medicine and primary care visits. Some insurance plans do require a referral for specialty visits, so we recommend checking with your plan or calling our office if you're unsure.

Please bring a photo ID, your insurance card, and a list of current medications. If you've had prior imaging (X-ray, MRI, ultrasound) related to your visit, please bring the images on a thumb drive. Bring any related treatment records as well — these help us avoid repeating tests. Runners coming in for gait analysis should bring their usual running shoes.

Insurance participation varies by plan and can change over time. Please call our front office at (435) 275-6203 and we'll verify your coverage before your visit.

Yes. Guardian Sports Medicine & Family Health welcomes patients who prefer to pay directly rather than use insurance. We maintain a straightforward cash-pay fee schedule with transparent pricing for office visits, procedures, ultrasound services, X-rays, sports physicals, and other services we provide.

Our cash-pay prices are designed to provide a clear, predictable cost before your visit or procedure. You do not need to have insurance to receive care at Guardian.

If you have questions about pricing or would like to know the expected cost of a specific service, please contact our office and we will be happy to help.

Yes. We provide full-spectrum family medicine and sports medicine care for children, adults, and seniors — athletes and non-athletes alike.

No! We see all patients regardless of whether they are an athlete. Whether your goal is to reach the top of your sport or simply the top of your stairs, we can help.

A sports medicine physician is a doctor who has completed residency (for example, family medicine) plus additional fellowship training in the non-surgical diagnosis and treatment of injuries and conditions affecting muscles, tendons, bones, ligaments, joints, and nerves. Our focus is restoring function and keeping you active — surgery is only recommended when it's truly the best option.

There is almost nothing that we can't help with, whether in sports medicine or family medicine. In sports medicine, we evaluate and treat the full range of musculoskeletal problems: acute injuries like sprains, strains, and fractures; overuse injuries like tendinopathy and bone stress injuries; joint pain and arthritis; nerve entrapments; running-related injuries; concussion; hernias; post-traumatic or post-surgical pain; undiagnosed pain; and connective tissue disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. We also provide comprehensive primary care, including wellness visits, prevention, and chronic disease management.

Most musculoskeletal conditions can be treated successfully without surgery. Our approach starts with accurate diagnosis, then uses proven conservative treatments — targeted rehabilitation, image-guided procedures, and activity modification. When surgery is genuinely indicated, we'll say so and coordinate a referral to a trusted surgeon.

It's high-resolution imaging performed right in the exam room, during your visit. Ultrasound lets us see muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves in real time — often providing an accurate diagnosis on the spot, without waiting for outside imaging appointments. It is also interactive: you can see what is going on and discuss it with your provider right then and there.

Instead of placing an injection by feel, we use live ultrasound imaging to guide the needle precisely to the target structure. This improves accuracy, safety, and — for many conditions — the effectiveness of the treatment. It can also make the procedure less painful by helping the provider avoid nerves and other painful structures.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an orthobiologic treatment that uses a concentrated preparation of platelets from your own blood, injected into an injured tendon, ligament, or joint to support the body’s healing response. PRP preparations vary, and results depend on the condition being treated.

Guardian offers traditional PRP and ExoCube processing, which further concentrates components from your own plasma. Our PRP injections are always performed with ultrasound guidance to optimize accuracy and safety.

During your evaluation, we’ll discuss whether traditional PRP, ExoCube, prolotherapy, hydrodissection, or another procedure is appropriate for your condition, including the expected benefits and limitations.

ExoCube™ is a step beyond traditional PRP. It is a modern, advanced PRP system designed to produce a highly concentrated preparation of platelets and platelet-derived growth factors from your own blood, with an emphasis on delivering a higher dose of platelets than many conventional PRP preparations. Emerging clinical research suggests that higher-dose PRP preparations may provide more rapid onset of pain relief in some conditions compared with lower-dose or traditional PRP, although results vary by condition and individual patient.

We observe and record your running form, then break it down to identify mechanical patterns contributing to injury or limiting performance. You'll leave with specific, practical recommendations on form, training, and footwear. This may include visual observation, slow-motion video, wearable sensor technology, or a combination of these.