Should I See a Sports Medicine Physician?
Posted on Jun 01, 2022
Should I See a Sports Medicine Physician?
The only thing more frustrating than suffering from an injury is trying to figure out what type of physician to see. Should a person injured running, golfing, or gardening see the same type of physician as a college athlete? The answer is yes!
What is sports medicine?
Sports medicine physicians use non-surgical techniques to help people improve their athletic performance (regardless of level), recover from an acute injury, and prevent future injuries.
When should I see a sports medicine physician?
Your body has unique ways of telling you when something is wrong, and it’s essential to pay attention! If you’ve suffered a sports injury, you may see signs such as:
- Bruising
- Instability
- Joint swelling
- Pain that disrupts daily activities
- Symptoms that gradually get worse
- Tenderness
Why is an appointment so important?
Seeing a physician for a sports injury is essential for many reasons. First, it allows us to inspect the injury for issues that may cause problems in the future. A tender knee today can develop into a painful, severe injury in a few weeks. It’s better to take preventive measures instead of reactive ones.
Second, your physician will be able to diagnose the injury and create a recovery plan to get you back in the game. Your injury likely falls within three categories — acute, overuse, or medical illness. Each injury requires a different type of recovery plan. Here’s a little more information regarding these types of injuries:
- Acute injuries include sprains, cuts, herniated disks, pinched nerves, and fractures. Symptoms may include pain, bruising, spasms, numbness, and tingling.
- Overuse injuries include tendonitis, shin splints, stress fractures, and nerve entrapment. Symptoms may include pain, swelling, grinding in the joints, and weakness.
- Medical sports injuries include concussions, fever, skin infections, heat exhaustion, and abdominal pain. For medical sports injuries, the symptoms are specific to the exact condition.
- Categories:
- Sports Medicine
- Tags:
- Sports Injury
- Sports Medicine Physician