When you are injured, and your performance on the field is on the line, it’s critical to visit a specialist to access the best treatments for recovery. Sports injuries not only affect your game, but they can have a life-long impact on other areas of your life as well.
Orthopedic sports medicine is a sub-specialty in the orthopedic industry, with specialists who focus on a variety of conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system as the result of sports activities.
What Is Sports Medicine?
Even active people in great health can experience injury when something goes wrong on the playing field. When someone is injured while participating in a sports event or training, then it’s essential to work with the right doctor as soon as possible. Sports medicine focuses on treating injured athletes to help them get back on the field again as soon as possible.
This specialty concentrates on musculoskeletal problems that can be summarized in two categories:
- Acute Injuries: An immediate injury that happens during a specific incident. For example, a bone fracture, muscle strain or an injury to the knee, shoulder or ankle.
- Overuse Injury: Instead of the injury occurring in a moment, an overuse injury happens with ongoing use of the injured area during training. Examples include tendonitis, rotator cuff issues or stress fractures.
Non-musculoskeletal issues can also be treated through sports medicine.
The physician’s goal is to support all aspects of the athlete’s health on the field and can help with other health concerns such as:
- Acute or chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma or arthritis
- Injury prevention
- Performance issues
- Supplements and nutrition
- Conditioning exercises
- Decisions regarding when the athlete can “return to play”
Typically, sports medicine is more than meeting with one doctor about your injury. This treatment involves a team approach with various health care providers including physical therapists, nutritionists, surgical experts and more.
Unique Considerations for Sports Medicine
Not only do these specialists work to get an athlete back into the game, but time is often a critical factor that needs to be addressed. Athletes are often mid-season when injuries happen, and their goal is to get back out to play as quickly as possible.
Ultimately every athlete wants to participate in the game at their pre-injury level. While this isn’t always possible, an orthopedic sports medicine doctor can support recovery to increase the likelihood of post-injury performance.
Additionally, orthopedic sports medicine doctors can work hand-in-hand with athletes, helping with a proactive approach to improve performance on the field and reduce the risk of injuries. Instead of waiting for an injury to happen, you can partner with a sports medicine expert to learn about effective strategies for minimizing the issues that will keep you off the field in the future.
Treating the Root Cause
One problem with sports injuries is that athletes are so anxious to get back in the game that they return prematurely. As a result, the risk of injury goes up since the body is already weakened due to previous injuries.
A sports medicine expert understands the need for a prompt return and knows the importance of proper healing time. An experienced sports medicine doctor gets to the root cause of the pain and mobility issues, helping each athlete determine the optimal amount of time to sit out. Additionally, various treatments can be used to speed up recovery and even improve the athlete’s performance overall.
Orthopedic Treatments for Athletes
Orthopedic doctors treat athletes and non-athletes alike. Whether you are in professional sports or a “weekend warrior,” you deserve to be working with a doctor who specializes in injuries relating to sports.
An orthopedic doctor uses physical, medical, surgical and rehabilitative solutions to address both chronic and acute issues affecting the musculoskeletal system. These treatments are available for people of all ages, including young athletes and elderly patients.
Is Sports Medicine Only for Professional Athletes?
While sports medicine doctors treat professional athletes, these medical services are also offered to adults, teens and children who are injured through personal fitness. This health care specialty is available to all people – not just athletes. Additionally, people working physically demanding jobs such as construction workers can benefit from sports medicine.
Anyone can visit a sports medicine doctor if they need medical support recovering from injury. Patients also choose sports medicine services if they want to improve athletic performance or minimize the risk of future injuries.
It can be hard to be sidelined after an injury. If you want to get back to your regular athletic activities and exercise routine as soon as possible, then it can be beneficial to schedule an appointment with a sports medicine expert.
When to Visit an Orthopedic Sports Medicine Doctor?
While these specialists often assist with serious, acute injuries, don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation for minor pains as well. Here are a few signs that you will benefit from sports medicine services:
- Acute Injury: You can identify the moment when an injury happened. If you walk off the sports field with pain or mobility concerns in a specific part of the body, then it’s critical to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Prompt treatment helps to minimize long-term issues from the injury.
- Chronic Pain: How often does chronic pain impact your performance in the game? If you are living with chronic pain, it’s time to see an orthopedic specialist to get to the root of the problem.
- Old Injuries: If you have old sports injuries that weren’t properly treated, how are these injuries affecting you today? Orthopedic sports medicine experts can assist with these old injuries, helping you reduce the impact of these injuries in your everyday life.
- Performance Goals: Sports medicine doctors can provide a proactive approach to improving your performance. Talk to a doctor about your goals and concerns to find out treatments and training methods that will help to optimize your skills.
- Degenerative Issues: Degenerative conditions take a toll over time. Not only do they affect your sports performance, but it’s vital to stay ahead of these conditions to improve your overall lifestyle.
When should you schedule an appointment with a sports medicine specialist, instead of a general medical provider?
Here are some of the injuries that can be treated through sports medicine:
- Fracture
- Ankle sprain
- Concussion
- Tendonitis
- Knee injury
- Shoulder injury
- Muscle strains
Sometimes sports injuries occur in an instant, due to an accident in the game. Other times, sports medicine services are needed because of ongoing wear and tear on the body because of training.
If you see these signs of a serious injury, then it is smart to schedule an appointment as soon as possible:
- Inability to put weight on the injury
- Numbness
- Swelling
- Severe pain
- Severe bruising
- Limited range of motion or function
If the symptoms are minimal, then the injury might heal on its own. But it can still be beneficial to talk to a sports medicine provider if you experience repeated injuries.
While the goal of visiting with an orthopedic sports medicine specialist is to help you return to the game as soon as possible, it’s just as important to consider your comfort in all other areas of your life. For example, a sports injury can affect your mobility and movement at home and work. So, reach out to a sports medicine expert without delay to ensure you have hands-on support to avoid the long-term issues after an injury.
Treatments and Surgeries from a Sports Medicine Doctor
Treatments available from an orthopedic medicine specialist include:
- Dislocation or fracture
- Strains and sprains
- Torn ligaments
- Infections
- Joint issues
- Degenerative issues
- Congenital conditions
- Sciatica
- Ruptured discs
- Bursitis
- Bone tumors
- And more
Keep in mind: just because you are visiting an orthopedic surgeon doesn’t mean that you will need surgical treatment. Our doctors prefer minimally invasive therapies whenever possible. The goal is to help you return to your pre-injury performance while minimizing recovery time.
Some structural injuries require surgical treatments for soft tissue repair, broken bone treatments, diagnosis and more. Surgical treatments can be considered on an as-needed basis, depending on each athlete’s unique needs.
Full-Service Treatment Approach
The benefit of choosing a sports medicine provider is that you gain access to a full-service treatment approach, focused on getting you moving again as soon as possible. Non-surgical treatments are recommended when it makes sense. But there are times when surgery is the right treatment to repair the damage and promote healing.
Common sport injury treatments might include:
- Rest and a break from training
- Immobilizing the injury with a sling or cast
- Pain relievers (over-the-counter or prescription medications)
- Icing the injured area
- Physical therapy
- Surgery to realign the bones or fix torn tissue
Ninety percent of the time, these injuries can be treated without surgery. This non-invasive treatment approach is prioritized as much as possible, with surgery being an option for severe injuries or conditions that aren’t responding to non-surgical treatments.
Sports medicine can go beyond the treatment of the injury. For example, some athletes work with sports medicine experts to improve strength and performance. Additional services might include recommendations for gaining or losing weight, as well as other physical elements that can impact the athlete’s performance.
Unique Skills from a Sports Medicine Physician
A physician working in this branch of medicine is someone who has unique training focused both on the treatment of sports-related injuries, as well as prevention of future injuries. These providers complete medical school in another specialty. Then, the doctor goes on to receive additional training in sports medicine to gain additional skills for supporting sports-related injuries.
Most sports medicine physicians have completed the following training:
- Board certification in another specialty such as family medicine, internal medicine or emergency medicine
- 1 – 2 years of additional training through a fellowship in Sports Medicine
- Holds a certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine, through a national certification exam
- Is actively engaged in continuing education focused on sports medicine
It’s common for sports medicine physicians to also have surgical training as well. For example, our team at OrthoTexas is proud to offer both orthopedic surgery and sports medicine. This combined approach gives patients one location for everything they need to treat sports injuries and stay at the top of their game.
Is There a Difference Between an Orthopedic Surgeon and Sports Medicine Physician?
Both orthopedic sports medicine doctors and surgeons offer services to treat injuries and conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system. But a sports medicine doctor specializes in sports-related injuries specifically, while an orthopedic surgeon is a generalist who also treats patients who aren’t participating in sports.
Keep in mind that some orthopedic surgeons are also sports medicine doctors. As a result, you can work with a doctor who provides non-surgical treatments as well as options for surgery as needed.
Benefits of Visiting an Orthopedic Sports Medicine Physician
Why should you choose an orthopedic sports medicine physician instead of visiting with a generalist or primary care provider? Here are some of the benefits you can expect:
- Maximize physical function – on and off the field
- Reduce the time you must spend in recovery
- Speed up the timeline to return to the game
- Design a minimally invasive treatment plan
Many sports injuries don’t require surgery, which helps to speed up the timeline for your recovery. In addition, when you are working with an orthopedic sports medicine doctor, you can have confidence in knowing that the provider will design a personalized treatment plan for your unique needs.
Schedule a Sports Medicine Consultation
If you are experiencing a sports-related injury or you want assistance to improve your performance, then it’s time to book a consultation with an orthopedic sports medicine physician.
Our professional team at OrthoTexas is here to assist. Learn about our full-service approach for athletes and non-athletes alike. You’re invited to book an appointment at your convenience.