Why Sports Medicine is Important to All People

If you aren’t a professional athlete, you may never think about having a good sports medicine specialist in your contact book. Surprisingly, this is very much the case for many people, regardless of your athletic status. Maybe you are someone that routinely completes high-intensity workout DVDs during the week and participates in charity-based 5Ks here and there. Or, maybe you are a high school competitor on the soccer team. Or, finally, maybe you push yourself to the limits on weekends (i.e. hiking, biking, swimming, surfing) after a long week trapped behind your desk. Whatever category you fall under, you are still exerting yourself physically (sometimes intensely) with potential risk for injury.

After an injury, you are on the bench from your workout schedule, and you may also have some difficulty performing some simple daily tasks. In order to get back to top physical form, find skilled sports medicine doctors that can determine the best course of action. Leading sports medicine centers like OA Centers for Orthopaedics, located in Portland, ME, specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries. After a thorough evaluation and diagnosis, the sports medicine physicians determine appropriate treatment, whether it’s surgical or non-surgical. If surgery is required, the sports medicine surgeon will walk through the next steps, discussing the procedure, recovery, and physical therapy follow up.

Sports medicine can also be preventative. If you are concerned about a recurring (but seemingly innocent) pain when you are working out, talk to a sports medicine specialist before it becomes a bigger problem. Additionally, pay close attention to your form and listen to your body. If you feel like you are pushing it too hard, to the point of potential injury, scale it back to keep yourself protected.