When Should I See a Sports Medicine Doctor?

Getting injured can negatively impact your life in many ways. In order to ensure you receive the right treatment and experience the best possible medical outcomes, it’s important to see the right doctor for your specific condition. If your injury occurred while participating in an athletic activity, that person is most likely a sports medicine doctor.

Sports medicine is a subspecialty of orthopedics. As with orthopedics, sports medicine doctors focus on injuries impacting your musculoskeletal system (bones, joints and muscles). However, this subspecialty is laser focused on injuries that occur as part of athletic activities. So while you may visit an orthopedic surgeon if you break your leg falling down the stairs at your house, you will want to see a sports medicine doctor if that broken leg occurs on the basketball court.

Who Is an Ideal Sports Medicine Patient?

Many people think that sports medicine doctors focus on treating professional, collegiate and amateur athletes. While this is certainly true, they also treat just about anyone who lives an active lifestyle and participates in sports. This can include hobbyist athletes, individuals participating in club sports, and outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy mountain activities such as skiing, biking, hiking or climbing.

In addition to receiving specialized training on musculoskeletal injuries, sports medicine doctors are also experts in physical activity and have a sophisticated understanding of concerns specifically related to active individuals. As a result, sports medicine doctors can not only treat your sports injuries, but they can provide services that will help you reach your peak performance levels.

Common Reasons to See a Sports Medicine Doctor

Sports medicine doctors are ideally suited to assist you with a variety of concerns. Some of these may be directly related to an injury, while others may be associated with optimizing performance. Common reasons to see a sports medicine doctor include:

• Performance enhancement – If you want to elevate your athletic performance to a higher level, sports medicine doctors can often help recommend a regimen that will allow you to reach the peak of your abilities. This may involve helping you improve your overall fitness levels and/or making adjustments to your training regimen that are specifically related to your sport or activity of choice.
• Injury prevention – You can’t enjoy your favorite activities if you’re constantly hurt. Sports medicine doctors can help you make adjustments to your training in order to reduce the likelihood of future injuries. In addition, they can help you understand why you suffered previous injuries and provide modifications to your routine that will help you avoid re-injury after you recover.
• Treatment of acute sports injuries – Acute sports injuries occur suddenly while participating in athletic activities. They are often associated with a fall, a traumatic blow to a specific region of your body, or a joint twisting in an awkward way. Sports medicine doctors can help you determine the extent and severity of your injury and recommend the ideal treatment plan to achieve a full recovery.
• Treatment of chronic sports injuries – Chronic sports injuries develop gradually over time and are often caused by overuse of a specific area of the body as part of your athletic pursuits. Sports medicine doctors can help you identify and correct the training errors or biomechanical issues that caused your chronic sports injury. They can also recommend the proper treatments to resolve the condition.

What to Expect When You’re Treated by a Sports Medicine Doctor

Sports medicine doctors have the training and experience necessary to diagnose and treat just about any sports injury you may sustain. As part of the diagnostic process, they will:

• Assess your level of pain, range of motion and function
• Order any diagnostic tests such as an x-ray or MRI that may be required to understand the specific nature of your injury

Once your injury is accurately diagnosed, your sports medicine doctor will recommend the proper treatment plan to help you recover. Some sports medicine doctors perform surgical and nonsurgical treatments, while others focus specifically on nonsurgical treatment methods. At Colorado Advanced Orthopedics, you benefit from a sports medicine team that works closely with our board-certified, fellowship trained orthopedic surgeons. This ensures that if surgery is required, your procedure will be performed by some of the finest surgeons in the state, enabling you to experience the best possible surgical outcomes.

Once you’ve received treatment for your injury, your sports medicine doctor will create a personalized rehabilitation plan that often involves physical therapy. At CAO, we have an in-house physical therapy team that collaborates with our sports medicine doctors to ensure your entire healthcare team is aligned on your treatment goals.

Your sports medicine doctor may also provide extensive patient education regarding preventive care that will help reduce the chance of re-injury.

Colorado Advanced Orthopedics Can Help

Whether you’ve suffered a sports injury or simply want to optimize your athletic performance, the sports medicine doctors at Colorado Advanced Orthopedics can help. We offer the most advanced sports medicine treatments along the Western Slope. Our orthopedic surgeons are trained in advanced joint care and consistently achieve surgical outcomes that surpass industry standards. In addition, our sports medicine team includes highly experienced doctors, physical therapists and athletic trainers who can:

• Recommend the right treatments to help you get back to enjoying your favorite activities as soon as possible
• Assist with your rehab after surgery
• Develop a customized training regimen geared towards optimizing your performance at your favorite activities

Contact us today to schedule an appointment. Colorado Advanced Orthopedics serves patients in Meeker and throughout the White River Valley.