What Age-Related Issues Can PRP Treat?
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a revolutionary treatment for many issues, including age-related joint pain and injuries. Read on to learn what other issues PRP can treat as you age.
What’s Involved In Sports Medicine?
It’s a fact that injuries happen; especially if you’re involved in sporting activities. Whether you’re a professional athlete or you just play sports with friends, an injury can really affect your game. If you’re dealing with a sports injury, a sports medicine specialist is your best option for a speedy recovery.
The team at Alpha Orthopedics and Sports Medicine are experts in treating injuries related to sporting events. Leading our practice is a very skilled group of orthopedic surgeons. These surgeons not only specialize in sports injuries, but also the best treatment option to get you back in the game.
What exactly is sports medicine?
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that focuses on injuries sustained in either sporting events or physical activities. Specialists, like our doctors at Alpha Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, focus on not only the treatment of sports-related injuries, but prevention as well.
But our specialists don’t just treat professional athletes; in fact, you don’t even have to play a sport to get treated by a sports medicine specialist. This type of medicine treats just about any injury that happens when you’re doing some type of physical activity. This may include running, weight lifting, or even physically demanding jobs.
Sports medicine is often considered a multidisciplinary type of medicine. This means that other specialties are involved in your care as well. These specialties may include athletic trainers, physical therapists, and nutritionists.
All of these team members work together to help you prevent sports injuries, or get you back in the game after you’ve hurt yourself.
Injuries that sports medicine doctors treat
Sports medicine aims at treating injuries that are specific to physical activity. While there are a lot of different injuries out there, not all of them are classified under this medical specialty. You can make an appointment with one of our sports medicine specialists if you’ve suffered one of the following injuries:
- Fractures
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Sprains
- Strains
- Tendinitis
- Joint dislocations
- Muscle injuries
- ACL injuries
It doesn’t matter if you injured your knee sliding into home base, or your ankle is swollen after running a half-marathon; these injuries are all covered under the umbrella of sports medicine.
This specialty is very important, because an injury usually happens very unexpectedly. When this happens, you need to get treatment as soon as possible, so you can heal quickly and get back to the activities and life you enjoy.
Understanding a sports medicine checkup
The direction of your appointment depends on if you’re recently injured, or looking for help with preventing an injury. Either way, your appointment starts with our doctors going over a detailed history, including which activities you’re involved in.
If you’re injured, our doctors also perform a physical exam. This includes a detailed look at your injury. They may ask you to move a certain way to see what either makes your pain better or worse. They’ll also visually assess the area to look for bruising or swelling.
If our team determines that you’ve sustained a fracture or soft tissue injury, they send you for imaging studies like an X-ray or MRI. In some cases, you may also need a CAT scan. Once the imaging comes back, our doctors review the findings and decide on the best course of treatment for your injury.
Treatment for a sports-related injury doesn’t always involve surgery; in fact the opposite is often true. Our team does their best to get you the treatment you need quickly, so you can get back to your life. Some of the types of treatments we offer include:
- Physical therapy
- Medications
- Activity modifications
- Steroid injections
- Immobilization
We also offer regenerative medicine injections, like platelet-rich plasma therapy or stem cell therapy. This may help speed up your recovery when paired with other treatment modalities as well.
If you’ve sustained a sports injury and need professional treatment, call our team at Alpha Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at one of our three convenient locations to schedule a consultation, or find us online to set up an appointment today.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Managing Arthritis in Your Day-to-Day Life
Arthritis is tricky to live with, especially in the later stages — but you can manage pain and stiffness with daily habits and a few lifestyle changes. Read on to learn how to effectively manage arthritis to get back to the activities you love.
Should I Go to the Walk-In Injury Clinic or the ER?
Injuries like fractures or sprains are a real drag, especially when they cut into your busy schedule – but should you go to urgent care or head to the ER? Read on to discover when a walk-in clinic is okay and when the ER is needed for an injury
I Can’t Get Comfortable at Night Because of My Hip Pain
When hip pain strikes, it's hard to deal with — especially when it keeps you from sleeping at night. Keep reading to learn why hip pain worsens at night and what to do for a good night’s sleep.
Can Cartilage Be Repaired?
Cartilage is a component of the body that supports and cushions the bones in the joints — but what happens when you damage it or it wears down? Keep reading to learn if we can repair cartilage damage and what to expect from treatment.
Don’t Live With Shoulder Pain: How Arthroscopy Can Bring Relief
Shoulder pain that interferes with everyday life is a real problem that may require surgery, but what can you expect from an arthroscopy? Please read to learn how a minimally invasive arthroscopic procedure stops shoulder pain.