Why is Sports Medicine Important?
Sports medicine refers to a medical specialty that exclusively deals with preventing and treating injuries related to fitness and sports. Sports medicine professionals focus on treating injuries related to sports and prevention, rehabilitation, nutrition, and performance training to help athletes reach new levels. Most practices offering sports medicine in Colorado Springs often include physicians with proper training in sports medicine, physical therapists, nutritionists, orthopedic surgeons, coaches, and trainers, to name just a few. They all work together to help an athlete get back to a fitness level to engage in competitive sports safely and quickly.
With the popularity of activity-related injuries, sports medicine fills a significant gap in healthcare. While it remains relatively new, it has become indispensable over the past few years. Sports medicine experts can have a considerable impact on your life as an athlete.
Benefits of Sports Medicine
. Specialized Care
Sports medicine professionals have the training to take care of the needs of athletes, active individuals, and fitness professionals. They have a good understanding of exercise and sports on your body and its effects such as concussions and motion injuries. They can work closely with physical therapists and orthopedic surgeons to develop a treatment plan that suits your individual needs.
. Better Injury and Reinjury Prevention
With their knowledge and experience, sports medicine experts understand how you use your body during practice and play. With this, they can provide you with expert instructions and advice on preventing injuries and avoiding re-injuring an area previously damaged. They work with both amateur and professional athletes to make vital “return to play” decisions. They also help you conduct pre-participation physical tests to make sure that you can safely resume activity.
. Cutting Edge Treatments
Whether you need reconstructive surgery or a regenerative medicine procedure such as a platelet-rich plasma or stem cell therapy, a sports medicine professional will use the latest techniques to help you regain function in injured parts. They work together with other medical professionals to make sure that they offer only the best solution.
. Better Performance
Sports medicine professionals play a significant role in creating custom training programs depending on individual needs, strengths, and weaknesses. They have the tools and knowledge to analyze your anatomical strengths and weaknesses and use the information gathered to create training recommendations and identify areas where you can improve.
What Injuries Can Sports Medicine Treat?
Generally, sports injuries come in two types; acute and chronic. Acute injuries occur suddenly during training, play, or exercise. You may not notice them at first due to adrenaline and other hormones. You may feel a sudden pain, swelling, inability to move a joint or place weight on the leg, ankle, knee, or foot, and redness in the affected area.
Chronic sports injuries or overuse injuries occur gradually due to repetitive motion or strain. You may experience swelling or tenderness in the affected area when playing or a dull pain while at rest.
To summarize, sports medicine deals with the prevention and treatment of injuries related to fitness and sports. It offers different benefits, including specialized care, better injury and re-injury prevention, modern and effective treatments, and improved performance. A sports medicine professional can handle both chronic and acute sports injuries.