Sports injuries can interfere with your workouts and keep you from reaching full performance. Even minor injuries like a muscle or sprain would require weeks of downtime. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to prevent these issues.
Sometimes, it takes just one wrong move to pull a muscle or break a bone. There is also a risk of developing overuse injuries, especially if you’re doing the same exercises on most days. Common mistakes, such as pushing yourself too hard in the gym, only make things worse.
One way to address these problems is to visit a center for sports medicine. These facilities aim to prevent, diagnose, and treat sports injuries.
Interested to find out more? Here’s what you should know before heading to a sports injury clinic.
What Is Sports Medicine?
Recovering from a sports injury can take weeks or even months. A sports medicine specialist can help you get back on your feet in a shorter time and prevent future injuries. Depending on your needs, he may recommend Mosman physiotherapy, at-home exercises, orthotics, or surgery.
Sports medicine is a branch of healthcare that deals with injury rehab, physical fitness, and other related fields. A sports medicine team may include physical therapists, nutritionists, physicians, surgeons, and psychologists.
These health professionals use their expertise to help athletes reach peak performance and overcome any emotional or physical challenges they may face. For example, they may recommend dietary changes or develop custom rehab programs.
What Services Are Offered by a Sports Injury Clinic?
A center for sports medicine offers health services for injuries and musculoskeletal disorders. Most facilities also employ athletic trainers and other professionals who can help athletes perform better.
But athletes are not the only ones who can benefit from these services. Generally, sports medicine specialists can address a wide range of problems that affect people of all fitness levels. These may include:
- Muscle sprains and strains
- Tendonitis
- Back pain
- Concussions
- Frozen shoulder
- Tennis elbow
- Runner’s knee
- Foot pain
Tendonitis, for example, is an overuse injury that causes pain and swelling of the affected tendon. It can affect anyone, from athletes to office workers.
Sports medicine specialists can diagnose this condition and then recommend the best course of action. Treatment options may include cold and heat therapy, physiotherapy, stretching, or surgery. A sports medicine physician specialized in regenerative medicine may prescribe less invasive procedures.
The availability of these services depends on the clinic. Some facilities have the latest rehab equipment, while others only use basic physical therapy techniques.
Find a Center for Sports Medicine That Meets Your Needs
Whether you have a pulled muscle or achy joints, it’s worth going to a center for sports medicine. The specialists who work here can develop a custom rehab program to help you recover faster and feel like yourself again. They may also recommend preventive measures and teach you proper exercise techniques.
Meanwhile, see our Health section for other tips on how to feel your best! We’ll show you how to relieve pain naturally, what it takes to build stronger bones, and much more!