Sports and other highly physical activities can wreak havoc on the body and result in various sports injuries. To ensure you can continue to engage in the sports and other physical activities you enjoy, you need to know a few things. First, what types of sports injuries require a specialist. Next, what going to a sports medicine physician entails. And lastly, how to better prevent future sports injuries from occurring. In this article, we’ll discuss a few different topics. How to know if you need a specialist for your sports injury, what sports medicine is, and how to work with a sports medicine physician to heal from a particular injury.
What Is Sports Medicine?
Playing a sport can result in potential pains, aches, and injuries, and you may need to see a specialist to receive a proper diagnosis and treatment. If you are experiencing any levels of discomfort or pain, it’s very important to see a sports medicine physician. A sports medicine physician or sports injury doctor can provide you with the proper diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, they have invaluable knowledge on tips and tricks to have quicker relief and prevention of future sports injuries. Without a sports injury doctor, you may experience longer-lasting pain, worsened or escalating injuries, and more frequent future injuries.
However, choosing the right physician to treat your sports injury can be one of the most difficult aspects of dealing with the given injury. You want to know if a sports injury doctor is right for you. So, it’s also important to know more about what sports medicine is and what it involves. Sports medicine is the study of principles regarding the science of sports, including sports injury diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Other potential specialties, including sports psychology and sports nutrition, focus more heavily on athletic performance and sports training.
What Is a Sports Medicine Physician?
A sports medicine physician or specialist is a person with specialized training and education with a focus on the therapeutic and medical parts of physical activity and sports participation. This individual can be a surgeon, physician, or another provider who works frequently with athletes. Athletes typically prefer to work with a sports medicine physician. This is because they have previous experience treating athletes and adequate qualifications and references from athletes they’ve worked with before. For board-certified and qualified orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine subspecialty certifications are available. For sports medicine physicians who don’t perform surgeries, a certificate for sports medicine added qualifications is available.
With a sports injury, you may be wondering what type of doctor you should see first. The overwhelming majority of sports injuries occur in the legs and feet, meaning a foot and ankle specialist is one of the best options for fast, effective, and high-quality diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. These individuals specialize in the most comprehensive foot care. This ranges from painful sports injuries to a vast number of other foot and ankle injuries. Orthotics, pediatrics, non-invasive treatments, and surgery are among the high-quality services you can receive. They can provide quick, effective treatment of both minor and musculoskeletal injuries.
How to Know if You Need a Specialist
If your injury continues to not improve and is interfering with your capabilities and daily activities, you may need appropriate medical care. A specialist can provide expertise with specialization in sports and other similar injuries to your legs and feet. When you first see a specialist for your sports injury, initial treatment approaches will likely include the most conservative treatment options. Though, this is depending on the initial severity of your injury. R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) is a common early treatment approach, among other conservative treatments.
Your doctor will look to see if you improve or respond to conservative treatments within about 2 weeks. If not, your specialist may consider an MRI to evaluate your injury further. A specialist has the expertise to properly determine the next appropriate steps for your injury, depending on the location and severity. Not all injuries require surgery, but a specialist is a top source to determine whether or not your injury requires surgery. A specialist is highly qualified to evaluate your injury in the early diagnosis and treatment stages. Additionally, they may be especially necessary for more severe cases or injuries.
How to Know if You Need a Surgeon
Consider if your sports injury pain becomes more severe with time. Or, if you are no longer able to put weight on the injured body part. This means you may need to see an orthopedic specialist qualified to provide surgery. These orthopedic specialists can provide you with the right evaluation to determine whether or not you can have adequate treatment and healing using non-invasive techniques, or if your sports injury requires surgery. The Foot & Ankle Specialists of Illinois can provide these diagnoses, treatment, and surgery options. With other orthopedic specialists, you may need to work with multiple providers to resolve your injury.
Separate specialists involved in treatment can include podiatrists, physical therapists, chiropractors, athletic trainers, and holistic practitioners, among others. The Foot & Ankle Specialists of Illinois provide many of these services as a wide-ranging medical service provider. Impactful treatment services for sports and other injuries from The Foot & Ankle Specialists of Illinois include orthotics, pediatrics, surgery, regenerative medicine, swift microwave therapy, lapiplasty, and telemedicine. Finding the right specialist is important, and recommendations and reviews can help you to determine whether or not a given specialist is right for you, your particular injury, and any other unique needs.
Specialist Care For Sports Injuries
Sports injuries are a common occurrence in highly active individuals and athletes, but an informed, effective diagnosis and resulting treatment can help put you back on your feet for the activities you love. For fast, effective, specialized treatment of your sports and other foot and ankle injuries, don’t wait to see the Foot & Ankle Specialists of Illinois. With an orthopedic specialist, you can experience the beneficial results of an expert diagnosis. Plus, the promise of non-invasive or surgical treatment to relieve your pain and put you back on your feet sooner.
