Injuries are par for the course if you’re an athlete – whether you’re an amateur, play high school or college sports, or are a professional athlete. In order to keep your body healthy and ready for play, you need to practice proper maintenance of your body as well as be ready for an efficient diagnosis and treatment of injuries as necessary.
Your sports medicine doctor is your go-to medical professional to ensure that you remain in optimum shape. Sports medicine is a specialized field that caters to the health of athletes and active adults.
Let’s talk about what exactly a sports medicine doctor does, and why they are so important to athletes of all levels.
Sports Medicine: A Multidisciplinary Field
Sports medicine combines principles from multiple disciplines: It requires expertise in musculoskeletal (orthopedic) medicine, emergency care, primary care, cardiology, and neurology. Sports medicine doctors play a key role in the early diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of athletes and physically active individuals.
Prevention and Strengthening
Sports medicine doctors play a crucial role in the early detection and preventive treatment of potential medical conditions in athletes. These doctors know how to help an athlete or performer keep certain areas of the body strong and maintained.
Early Diagnosis and Treatment of a Sports Injury
When a high school, college, or professional athlete sustains an injury, a sports medicine doctor is usually the one who gives primary care – ideally, right after the injury occurred. Their expertise in sports injuries helps to streamline the athlete’s recovery and helps to prevent long-term damage.
Some sports doctors practice medicine in unusual areas, such as handling the healthcare of performers and stuntmen.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation after a sports injury can be a lengthy, delicate process that will determine whether you can return to normal activity. Your rehab period will likely be longer for severe injuries, such as a concussion or a fully torn tendon or ligament. Sports doctors are trained in general medicine, orthopedics, biomechanics, exercise physiology, and sports psychology to assist you in achieving a full recovery.
Surgery
A sports medicine doctor is often trained to be a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. That means they can perform various sports-related injury-repair procedures, such as endoscopic surgery. However, they may first try to address your pain through injection therapy.
Some of the most common sports injuries that may require surgery include the following:
- Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis)
- Rotator cuff tears
- Fractures
- Finger injuries
- Pitcher’s elbow (medial epicondyle apophysitis)
- Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
Sports Medicine Doctor in Greater Chesapeake, Maryland
Here at Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder, our board-certified sports medicine doctors can diagnose and treat upper-extremity sports injuries. We are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies for fracture care and surgical and nonsurgical treatments. We also treat active adults who want to stay fit for tennis and golf.
If you are an athlete, we are here for you. If you would like to schedule an appointment with one of our sports doctors, contact us today by calling us at (410) 296-6232 or by completing our appointment request form online now. We have a number of convenient offices located across Maryland. We look forward to helping your arm get back into the swing of things!
