A sports medicine physician or sports medicine doctor is a specialist in treating conditions that affect people with active lifestyles, including those who play sports. A sports medicine physician is trained in the nonsurgical and surgical treatment of conditions and injuries sustained during physical activities. Moreover, they are also knowledgeable in injury prevention and ways to enhance athletic performance.
Your primary care doctor will likely refer you to a sports medicine physician to get you the best care and treatment for your injury. To know more about what sports medicine physicians treat, here are the most common reasons patients are referred to them.
Sprains and Strains
Among the most common sports injuries are sprains and strains. A sprain is an injury to the ligaments while strains are an injury to muscle and tendons. Twisting your ankle is a common cause of sprains, while strains are often caused by lack of proper conditioning of muscles, which overstresses them during physical activities.
Sprains and strains cause pain, which varies in degree depending on the severity of the injury. Severe injuries may require immobilization and physical therapy.
Elbow Fractures
A fracture is a crack or break in a bone, and for people who play sports, elbow fractures are a common type of injury – particularly radial head fractures, which may occur as a result of trying to break a fall using your arm. This type of elbow fracture is characterized by the radial head pushing into the humerus, causing a bone break. Treatment for radial head fractures includes wearing a cast or a splint for displaced fractures and moving the bone pieces back in place through surgery.
Knee Ligament Injuries
The knee is one of the most commonly injured joints in the body. The knee ligaments are particularly prone to overstretching and tearing injuries. Knee injuries may be acute or chronic, and can cause limited mobility and range of motion. In chronic cases, knee injuries can lead to disability. Sports medicine doctors specialize in the treatment of chronic knee conditions and symptoms, often recommending surgery to make repairs to damaged tissue.
Arthritis
Sports medicine doctors also specialize in managing progressive joint diseases, such as osteoarthritis, which can affect the hip, knee, and shoulder, among other joints. Managing osteoarthritis requires a comprehensive treatment plan to relieve pain, bring down inflammation, improve flexibility and range of motion, and enhance patient quality of life.
Top Sports Medicine Physicians in San Antonio, Texas
Sports medicine physicians not only treat injuries but also advise you on how to prevent them. If you’ve injured yourself or have an injury that keeps recurring, let our board-certified and fellowship-trained sports medicine physicians at the Center for Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine evaluate your condition and recommend a comprehensive treatment plan that includes proper physical therapy and rehabilitation.
We provide you with what you need to improve your condition or recover from your injury. Call (210) 692-7400 to request an appointment or fill out our request form online today. We look forward to serving you in our facility in San Antonio.
