Image Credit: Giulio Braga Physiotherapist
“Keep your vitality. A life without health is like a river without water.”
– Maxime Lagacé
The majority of injuries occur during moments of physical activity. You may be out on a jog and meet some unstable terrain that can induce injury. You may be participating in a sport and twist an ankle during a maneuver. If such an occurrence happens to you, you may be referred to a sports medicine specialist. Your orthopaedic specialist may also have a sports medicine certification. With various persons available to heal your injuries, you can rest assured that you’ll be able to be up and running should you incur a sprain or a more serious injury.
Healthcare professionals who specialize in sports medicine, have undergone specialized training that will facilitate the restoration of your health. While the body has a natural healing mechanism, with the help of your sports medicine specialist, you will be poised to recover and be moving again as soon as possible. As experts in preventing illness and injury in active people, they are your first line of defence in keeping your body in its peak physical shape if you are an athlete.
Who can visit a Sports Medicine specialist?
Sports medicine specialists work with professional athletes to ensure that their bodies are in the peak physical shape. They can work with athletes to advise them how to manage their body during sporting activity, and also how to recover quickly if they are injured during a game. You may have noticed on occasion, that if your favorite athlete gets injured during a game, they may often play for a while before they actually leave the court or field. Because athletes have learned how to manage their bodies, they have successfully learned how far to push themselves in order to achieve the desired objectives before they rest.
Young children and teens who are sports oriented, and heavily involved in sports can also seek the counsel of a sports medicine specialist. Taking the time to ensure that the body is at peak, will be one of the best investments that an athlete can make.
In reality, there are several jobs that do have a physical toll on the body. Industrial jobs that involve building and construction are also going to place the worker in a position where they are prone to physical injury. Where heavy objects such as blocks or scaffolds are constantly being lifted, the employee may be prone to back pain. While on the job training does identify injury points during a job, the employee can seek the counsel of a sports medicine healthcare specialist if they do worry about keeping their backs and their legs in peak operating condition.
How are Sports Medicine Specialists trained?
In the medical realm, sports medicine is an additional specialization that is built on a base of a medical education framework. Sports medicine specialists identify their focus areas so that they can decide to optimize health from the paediatric perspective or from the adult treatment perspective. Your orthopaedic specialist may be certified in sports medicine. If you’re an athlete, identify if they can help you with your health in this regard. Other experts who are not healthcare providers may work with a sports medicine healthcare provider to provide care [1]:
- Physical therapists. They help people rehabilitate and recover from injuries.
- Certified athletic trainers. These trainers provide rehab exercise routines to help patients regain strength. They also develop conditioning programs to prevent future injury.
- Nutritionists. They may help with needed weight loss or weight gain. They can provide dietary advice to help people improve their physical functioning.
If you have the following injuries or more, you are the prime candidate for a sports medicine consultation:
- Ankle sprain
- Fracture
- Knee and shoulder injury
- Tendonitis
- Exercise-induced asthma
- Heat illness
- Concussion
- Eating disorder
- Cartilage injury
Your health is your wealth! If you’re an athlete, or a parent of an athlete, ensure that you align yourself with a list of the critical specialists that can assist you in the instance of an injury. While a minimal statistical occurrence, when a major injury occurs, you’ll at least be prepared!
References:
- What is Sports Medicine: https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=what-is-sports-medicine-160-19
- What Does a Sports Medicine Doctor Do?: https://study.com/articles/What_Does_a_Sports_Medicine_Doctor_Do.html
