A sports medicine doctor is a physician that can treat a wide range of injuries that occur from sports or exercise. The sports medicine specialty requires doctors to undergo one year of training focused on diagnosing, treating, and preventing sports-related injuries.
When you hear of sports medicine doctors, you may think they’re for athletes only. It does sound like these doctors exclusively treat athletes, and yes, the specialty was initially developed for that purpose. However, this is no longer the case. People of all backgrounds benefit from seeing sports medicine physicians.
Who Should See a Sports Medicine Doctor?
Seeing a sports medicine doctor can benefit any individual who leads an active lifestyle or wants to improve their physical fitness. This casts a wide net, as physical fitness is critical to the overall health of people of all ages and backgrounds. Other than professional athletes, a sports medicine doctor can treat fitness buffs, weekend warriors, retirees, and non-athletes. If you are starting out with physical activity, exercise, or participating in a sport, and you injure yourself, a sports medicine doctor can treat you. In addition to treating injuries, a sports medicine doctor can provide nutrition and lifestyle counseling and recommend specific exercises that can help optimize your performance.
Injuries a Sports Medicine Doctor Can Treat
Sports medicine doctors can treat a wide range of injuries, such as:
- Sprains and strains – Ankle sprain, back and hamstring strain
- Knee ligament injuries – Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injuries
- Knee meniscus tears
- Shoulder injuries – Dislocation, rotator cuff tears
- Fractures – Stress fractures, clavicle fractures, ankle fractures, wrist fractures, ankle fractures
- Tendonitis – Tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, jumper’s knee
- Ankle and shoulder instability
- Concussions
A sports medicine doctor’s in-depth knowledge of the injuries affecting the musculoskeletal system allows them to make a quick diagnosis and put you on a quick path to recovery. The goal of sports injury treatment is to get the patient back to their pre-injury condition quickly. Sports medicine doctors design a treatment plan that includes medication, the use of splints and supports, physical therapy, and other pain control techniques.
Lastly, the best treatment is prevention. Sports medicine doctors value patient education and help patients prevent an injury through a balance of rest, proper warm-up and cooldown routines, a good conditioning and exercise program, variation of physical activities, a healthy diet, good sleep hygiene, and much more.
Sports medicine is not just for athletes. You, too, can benefit from the specialized services a sports medicine doctor offers. If you have fitness goals, a sports medicine doctor can help you achieve them.
Sports Medicine Doctor in Austin, TX
Here at All-Star Orthopedics of Austin, our sports medicine doctor is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Carol Hyde’s high level of expertise in treating all manner of orthopedic conditions using non-surgical and surgical techniques means patients who need surgery don’t need to go to another doctor for it. We are a team of caring and friendly professionals, and we are committed to your well-being and recovery. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Hyde, call our clinic now at (512) 346-4933 or use our appointment request form.
