As one of the fastest growing branches of orthopedic medicine, sports medicine can help athletes of all levels perform at their best, recover swiftly, and stay on track as they strive to achieve better results in their chosen sport. In recent years, athletes have been using sports medicine specialists to improve their performance, stamina, agility, movement, strength, and flexibility, both before and after injuries.
Athletes have a keen understanding of their bodies and what they can and can’t do. With the help of a sports medicine specialist, you can deepen that understanding so you can perform better and better over time.
Here, we’ll provide you with a closer look at some reasons why you should consult a sports medicine specialist. We’ll start off by explaining why sports medicine is different from regular coaching.
1. Specialized Care
By consulting an experienced sports medicine specialist, you can reap the benefits of specialized care. While coaches are proficient in their sports, they simply lack the medical insight that’s required to prevent and treat injuries, ensure optimal musculoskeletal performance, and keep your body on track as you engage in rigorous training and workouts.
Sports medicine specialists are trained to focus on numerous aspects of an athlete’s lifestyle, including nutrition. If you experience a sports injury, getting accurately diagnosed and receiving medical care, guidance, and rehabilitation will help you recover faster and perform better over the long haul. Specialized, preventive care should be one of the top reasons why you consult a sports medicine specialist.
Recommended Read: Common Sports Injuries
2. Performance
If your athletic performance hasn’t been on par, you may require adjustments to your training and nutrition, among other things, which can affect the way you play.
It’s possible that you haven’t strengthened the musculoskeletal areas of the body that are most vulnerable during the specific sport you play. It’s also possible that you’re dealing with an undetected injury. In some cases, especially with youth sports, athletes overwork their bones, tendons, and muscles playing the same sport throughout the year. This has caused historically high incidences of conditions that are normally found in older athletes, such as anterior cruciate ligament tears and hamstring pulls.
A sports medicine specialist will address the underlying causes of your condition and help you perform optimally.
3. Long-Term Physical Health
As an athlete, you shouldn’t just focus on short-term physical fitness and performance, but also look at what it takes to maintain long-term physical health. If you engage in the wrong type of workouts or train incorrectly/excessively, it could take a toll on your physical health.
A sports medicine specialist will identify your limits and help you work within those constraints, so you don’t end up overworking yourself and risk the development of a serious musculoskeletal condition. Their preventive care and focus on long-term fitness and performance will help you enjoy a stable and successful career.
In the Sports Medicine Program at Houston Physicians’ Hospital, all athletes get the same care the pros get, with some of Houston’s leading orthopedic sports medicine specialists. Our patients can access what they need to recover, optimize performance, and get back on track.
If you’re an athlete and have experienced an injury or you’re dealing with a condition that has kept you from performing at your best, you can find a sports medicine specialist who’s right for you on our website.
Houston Physicians’ Hospital also provides physical therapy services, joint pain treatment, and lower back pain treatment, among a wide range of other services.