People need the ability to perform at their best for the opportunities they have – whether clearing their pasture, tossing a Frisbee with grandkids, or tackling a 225-pound running back. That’s the philosophy of Birmingham native Jeremy Towns, M.D., a physician with UAB Sports & Exercise Medicine who also helps care for the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions football team. His position is symbolic of his full-circle journey from standout high school athlete to NFL player to UAB Medicine physician. This uncommon path influenced how Dr. Towns connects with all of his patients.

With the warmer weather and longer days in full swing, many people may be working outside in their yards. Before people get started on their yard to-do list, experts at UAB Medicine recommend taking some precautions.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is the official medical provider of the 2025 World Police & Fire Games, which will kick off in Birmingham this month.

Johan Latorre, M.D., MS, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), is the junior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award for Faculty in Access & Engagement by UAB Heersink School of Medicine.

Berdale S. Colorado, D.O., MPH, associate professor in the UAB Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, was selected to receive the 2025 Innovators & Influencers Award by the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Learn how prolonged use of phones and screens can strain the neck and spine. A UAB physical therapist explains the causes, symptoms, and prevention of tech neck.

Golf season is in full swing, and while golf is a relatively safe sport, injuries can still happen. Experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham say that, by following a few simple tips, golfers can reduce their risk of injury.

Anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, injuries are one of the most common among athletes. Each year, approximately 150,000 ACL injuries occur in the United States, particularly in sports that involve cutting, pivoting and jumping — such as soccer, basketball, football and skiing.

In 2021, Natalie Ryals, 20, playfully jumped off some stairs, something she had done many times before. Later that day, Ryals gradually started noticing some pain in her knee. As the weeks continued, the gradual pain turned into radiating pain, numbness and tingling in her foot. She soon experienced limited mobility in her knee and began to develop low back pain. Ryals began using a knee brace and crutches on a regular basis to be able to move around throughout her daily life.

When you have an injury or procedure that affects how well you move, specialty care improves recovery and performance. UAB Medicine Physical Therapy at Dunnavant Valley is our newest clinic, providing Sports & Exercise Medicine services, physical therapy and rehabilitation for athletes and non-athletes alike. Whether you sprained your ankle playing basketball, had shoulder surgery, or just want to move better, we can help.

Each year, UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center (SRC) selects a patient, former patient, or their family member for its Ambassador of Hope Award. This special honor goes to an individual with a disability or their family member whose courage and determination inspire hope in others facing the challenges of disability. UAB Medicine employee Darryl Walker is the 2024 recipient of the award.

Each year, hundreds of patients visit the Amputee Clinic at UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center to be fit for prostheses after complications of diabetes, motor vehicle accidents and a wide range of other conditions. A new grant from UAB’s Health Services Foundation-General Endowment Fund awards program is funding the purchase of an advanced 3D printer that will allow those patients to receive their prostheses faster, at lower cost and with an even better fit, says the clinic’s director, Conley Carr, M.D. The printer will also produce custom orthoses for UAB patients needing braces after a stroke or other condition, he adds.