Sports medicine is an often misunderstood field of medicine. Some people assume it’s an elite and specific part of medicine that keeps high-performing athletes on top of their game. Others believe they believe sports medicine is the art of taking care of bumps, bruises, and sprains on the playing fields or locker room. However, sports medicine is so much more than that! Here are some fun facts about sports medicine that will help you learn more about it.
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing injuries related to physical fitness activities such as sports and exercise.
A big portion of sports medicine focuses on musculoskeletal issues. The musculoskeletal system includes the skeleton, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and connection tissues. Playing sports and living an active lifestyle can lead to a variety of musculoskeletal issues. Sports medicine focuses on correcting and preventing these issues.
Fun Facts about Sports Medicine
You don’t have to be an elite or professional athlete to need sports medicine.
When you think of sports medicine, what do you think of? If you pictured an athlete at a doctor’s office for an injury, you aren’t entirely wrong. Most people think of professional athletes when they think of sports medicine. However, sports medicine is a lot more expansive than just that. Any person who lives an active lifestyle and participates in an active activity such as running, swimming, or a recreational sport can use sports medicine.
Sports Medicine isn’t just about rehabilitation!
It’s pretty common to think “sports medicine” when someone is trying to recover from a sports-related injury. However, sports medicine is not just about rehabilitation. There are more components to sports medicine such as preventative care and nutrition. Rehabilitation focuses on helping the body recover from optimal functionality so it can perform the way it’s supposed to. Those who suffer from sports injuries or undergo surgeries need rehabilitation afterward to get resume their previous functionality. Preventative care focuses on teaching patients about safety and what precautions to take when exercising and being active. Preventative care helps reduce the chances of injuries in the future. Nutrition is an essential component of sports medicine because food is the body’s fuel. With inadequate nutrition, the body cannot perform properly and this increases chances of injuries. The combination of these components makes an encompassing branch of medicine that offers a variety of diagnosing techniques, treatment options, preventative care techniques, medications, therapies, and procedures to help active individuals prevent and treat sports-related health conditions.
Preventative Care is just as important as rehabilitation.
While not many people think about this, it’s essential to stress the importance of preventative care in any field of medicine – not just sports medicine. Preventing an injury or condition is always better than treating it after it develops. Preventing an illness or injury keeps the body healthy and lets the individual participate in their sport or activity for as long as they want. However, once an injury or condition develops, it can be difficult to fix. While a lot of musculoskeletal issues can be cured or controlled, there are a lot of health conditions related to sports medicine that last for several years or even a lifetime. If we learn to prevent injuries, we can save time, energy, money and, most importantly, the ability to play and do the things you love.
Sports Medicine as a Specialty
Sports medicine is not only for an injury after it happens – it plays a critical role in preventing injuries as well. Be sure to choose an experienced and reputable orthopedic specialist to ensure you get quality care. Movement Orthopedics specializes in a variety of orthopedic health issues, including sports medicine. Call (586) 436-3785 today to make an appointment.
