If you’re an athlete, you know just how dangerous your sport can be. Sure, it’s the place where you can let loose and be who you are; it’s where you come alive; it’s what makes your clock tick. But when you have to undergo arthroscopic shoulder surgery, posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, or a back rehabilitation program, you may not be so thrilled about your sport.
Luckily, there are sports medicine clinics that can be extremely helpful in these situations. They are staffed with well-trained sports medicine physicians who know exactly how to help heal sports injuries.
Here’s what sports medicine physicians do.
- Injury Prevention. You don’t necessarily have to wait until you get injured to see one of these physicians. If you consult them early on, you will be able to find out how you can prevent injuries from happening. For example, he or she might be able to tell you how to wrap your knee or elbow in a way that protects it while you play.
- Clean Bill of Health. For any sport, these physicians have to give you the thumbs up in order for you to return to the playing field, or the court. They will go through several diagnostic tests and exercises to determine if you have healed properly, and once you pass these exams, you can rejoin your team.
- Diagnosis. Since many sports medicine doctors have a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree, they are able to properly evaluate an athlete, and give a diagnosis. They have studied human physiology, chemistry, and a host of other subject that relate to the body, and will be able to perform routine tests, and make an accurate diagnosis quickly.
With the help of sports medicine specialists, athletes are able to push their skills to the limits, and perform at the highest level, knowing that these professionals have their back. See more.