Connie Hsu, MD

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Connie Hsu, MD, is a board-certified sports medicine physician with UW Medicine and an Assistant Clinical Professor in Rehabilitation Medicine, Orthopedics, and Sports Medicine at the University of Washington. Dr. Hsu’s clinical practice focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and non-operative management of sports injuries across all ages and performance levels, with a special emphasis on swimming medicine.

A former elite swimmer and NCAA Division I varsity swimmer at Harvard, Dr. Hsu brings an athlete’s perspective to clinical care and research. She has provided medical coverage for high school, collegiate, adaptive, and national events, including football, basketball, figure skating, and high-school and collegiate swimming and diving, and has led didactic teaching for fellows, residents, and medical students. Her procedural expertise includes diagnostic and interventional musculoskeletal ultrasound, platelet-rich plasma injections and other orthobiologics, percutaneous tenotomy (Tenex), and extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT).

Dr. Hsu’s scholarly work centers on overuse injury in aquatic, hypermobility, overhead, and endurance sports, treatment and management of various sports injuries, and biomechanics. She has authored many peer-reviewed research, narrative reviews, and conference presentations on topics such as swimmer shoulder and back injury risk, hypermobility in swimmers, and telehealth-guided shockwave therapy planning. Her research and mentorship have been recognized with "Excellence in Teaching" residency award and a “Best Young Researcher” award at an international conference. She is committed to advancing sports and swimming medicine while mentoring the next generation of clinicians and investigators.

Education and Training

• Sports Medicine Fellowship, University of Chicago (Academic Faculty Development Track)
• PM&R Residency (Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Distinction, Teaching and Mentorship Graduation Award), Spaulding Rehabilitation/Harvard Medical School
• MD, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
• BA with Honors (Human Evolutionary Biology; minor in Global Health & Health Policy), Harvard University

Board Certifications

• American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R)

Notable Awards and Honors

• Illinois State Champion and state record holder
• USA Swimming Junior National Team
• 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier Excellence in Teaching Award (Spaulding Rehabilitation)
• Best Young Researcher Award (International Spine UK Congress)

Clinical Interests

• Swimming-related injuries
• Tendon and overuse injury
• Return-to-sport
• Overhead athletes
• Endurance athletes
• Acute sports injuries
• Diagnostic ultrasound
• Ultrasound-guided procedures
• Biomechanics

Teaching Interests

Dr. Hsu is interested in teaching and mentoring undergraduate and medical students who are interested in the field of medicine (or specifically, sports medicine).

Research Interests

Dr. Hsu is committed to collaborative, athlete-centered care and to developing practical, data-driven guidelines return-to-play guidelines that keep athletes training safely while they heal. She is involved in several ongoing swimming medicine research projects.

Recent Publications

Hsu C, Schon J, Genovese T, McInnis K. Ankle laxity and instability in collegiate swimmers. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2025 Sep;65(9):1194-1200. doi: 10.23736/S0022-4707.25.16570-5. Epub 2025 Jul 11. PMID: 40643372. 

Schwartz A, Richards L, Labrador H, Verma R, Benjamin H, Hsu C. Lumbar spine injuries among high-school and college-aged competitive swimmers associated with various training methods and stroke specialties. Res Sports Med. 2025 Sep 29:1-9. doi: 10.1080/15438627.2025.2567352. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41021363. 

Hsu C, Genovese T, McInnis KC. Assessing the risk of lumbar degenerative disc disease associated with swimming: A systematic review. PM R. 2024 Sep;16(9):1012-1022. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.13138. Epub 2024 Mar 19. PMID: 38501332. 

Hsu C, Afifi T, Isaac Z. Shoulder pathology on advanced imaging in asymptomatic non-athlete individuals: A narrative review. PM R. 2024 Nov;16(11):1264-1275. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.13169. Epub 2024 Jun 1. PMID: 38822702. 

Hsu C, Krabak B, Cunningham B, Borg-Stein J. Swimming Anatomy and Lower Back Injuries in Competitive Swimmers: A Narrative Review. Sports Health. 2024 Nov-Dec;16(6):971-981. doi: 10.1177/19417381231225213. Epub 2024 Jan 23. PMID: 38262981; PMCID: PMC11531034. 

Hsu, C., Schowalter, S., Jarnagin, J. et al. Buttock Pain in Athletes: a Narrative Review. Curr Phys Med Rehabil Rep 11, 280–291 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40141-023-00411-9