What Is Sports Medicine? Understanding the Specialty
March 31, 2022 9:50 pm
Your daughter injured her leg in last night’s basketball game, and her primary care provider recommends you see a sports medicine specialist. But what is sports medicine—and how can it help?
Just as there are medical providers who specialize in health conditions affecting the heart (cardiologists), the skin (dermatologists) and the urologic system (urologists), there are also providers who undergo specialty training related to sports-related health issues.
Defining Sports Medicine
So, what is sports medicine? It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Sports medicine specialists offer expertise related to medical issues that occur due to sports participation. This can include both the prevention and treatment of injuries.
While it may seem like sports medicine is solely for athletes, the specialty encompasses care for anyone involved in physical activity, including those exercising rather than participating in sports.
Sports medicine specialists are often orthopaedic medicine specialists with additional training related to the musculoskeletal system and the body mechanics involved in movement and activity. They may also be family medicine, emergency medicine or pediatric specialists. Sports medicine specialists work collaboratively with other providers, including physical therapists and athletic trainers, to help people with injuries return to normal activity.
In some cases, as with athletes who are affected by an eating disorder or an acute non-sports illness, sports medicine specialists will work alongside a full medical team to determine a treatment strategy.
The Types of Sports Injuries
Sports medicine specialists can provide care and expertise related to many different types of sports-related (or physical activity-related) injuries. This includes:
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears
- Concussion or other head injuries
- Fractures, including stress fractures
- Injuries to the cartilage in the knee
- Meniscus tears
- Patellar tendinitis
- Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tears or injuries
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Shoulder dislocations or separations
- Sprains
- Strains
- Tennis elbow
- Tendinitis
Sports medicine includes care and services related to both acute injuries, such as sprains and fractures, as well as chronic injuries. Chronic injuries due to physical activity are often related to the overuse of a certain body part through repetitive motion.
How to Prevent Sports Injuries
Many sports injuries can be prevented by following sport-specific best practices. This includes wearing specialized equipment, such as a helmet or shin guards, and learning and adhering to correct technique for sports movements like tackling.
If an athlete is prone to injury, a sports medicine specialist can offer guidance about ways to modify certain movements or specific conditioning exercises to perform. For example, to prevent ACL injuries, athletes may be coached through the proper mechanics of jumping and landing.
How Sports Injuries Are Treated
Treatment for a sports injury will vary depending on the type of injury, the body part affected, the severity of the injury and other factors, including the person’s overall health.
Treatment may include basic at-home care such as the RICE method, physical therapy, bracing, splinting, oral or injected medications, or surgery. Sports medicine specialists can also provide additional guidance, such as recommendations about when and how to return to activity, strategies for increasing physical fitness and sports nutrition advice.
When providing treatment for overuse injuries, providers will offer specific guidance about both treating the injury and lowering the risk for recurrence of injury.
Have you or a loved one experienced a sports injury? Magnolia Regional Health Center offers comprehensive orthopaedic services, including sports medicine.
Tags: sports injury, sports medicine
NewsCategorized in: Orthopaedic
This post was written by Magnolia Regional Health Center