Top 5 Benefits of Sports Medicine and Pain Management
Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a professional athlete, sports medicine and pain management are essential parts of maintaining your health. These medical experts can help you return to the game quickly and safely.
They can also help you prevent recurring injuries and improve your athletic performance. These doctors work with physical therapists, trainers, and coaches to offer various services.
Prevention
Whether you’re an athlete or just a fitness enthusiast, regular exercise can benefit your health. However, it’s also essential to take care of your body and avoid injuries as much as possible.
This can be done by consulting a sports medicine doctor and learning how to prevent injuries from occurring. Often, this involves strengthening certain areas vulnerable to damage when playing a particular sport.
Additionally, a sports medicine doctor like Jordan Sudberg can help you recover from an injury quickly and safely. They’ll find a treatment option that works best for you, such as physical therapy or pain management modalities. Sometimes, they may recommend surgery if nonsurgical modalities still need to work.
Rehabilitative Therapy
Rehabilitation therapies help people recover from illness, injury, surgery, stroke or other medical issues and regain independence lost. They may focus on improving physical or cognitive abilities and modifying daily routines to improve function.
Rehabilitative therapy can be provided in a healthcare facility, outpatient rehabilitation facility, or home. It offers a controlled medical environment to help you heal while you regain strength and relearn skills you have lost.
Rehabilitation is a core health service and should be available for everyone with an acute or chronic health condition, impairment or injury that limits functioning. It reduces hospital length of stay and re-admission rates, helps people remain in work or independent living environments, and minimizes caregiver costs.
Prevention of Recurring Injuries
One of the most important benefits of sports medicine and pain management is the prevention of recurring injuries. This includes the treatment of injuries that repeatedly occur in the exact location, such as tendinitis and stress fractures.
A sports medicine specialist can help prevent these injuries from occurring by providing personalized training advice and guidelines to keep you in tip-top shape for your sport.
Many minor sports injuries can be treated at home with rest, ice and pain medication. However, see a physician if pain persists or if swelling or bruising occurs.
Sports medicine physicians are orthopedic specialists trained in treating and preventing sports-related injuries. They also have a strong background in primary care.
Pain Management
Whether you’re an elite athlete, a weekend warrior or want to live a healthy life, your musculoskeletal health matters. Injuries to muscles, tendons and joints can take a toll on performance and lead to chronic pain.
Your sports medicine doctor can help you manage your pain while strengthening the body part that has been injured. This can prevent future injuries and reduce recovery time.
Your provider will evaluate your pain, noticing when and where it happens and how long it lasts. Then they will customize a plan to treat your pain and improve your quality of life.
Surgery
Surgery may be a solution if pain persists despite conservative treatments, such as physical therapy or medications. An orthopedic or sports medicine expert will work with you to determine the best treatment method for your situation.
Generally, nonsurgical treatments are preferred first. Then, if surgery is necessary, minimally invasive techniques are often used for improved outcomes and recovery times.
Whether you’re a competitive athlete or a weekend warrior, sports medicine offers extensive treatment options to help you get back in the game and avoid future injuries. These specialists also provide preventative care and maintenance to keep you healthy and pain-free for life.
