What is Sports Medicine?
Sports Medicine, also known as sports and exercise medicine (SEM), is a branch of medicine that deals with the treatment and prevention of sports and exercise-related injuries and improving fitness and performance. The main objective of sports medicine is to help individuals engage in sports and exercise in a safe and effective manner to accomplish their training goals.
A sports medicine team may comprise medical and non-medical specialists, such as physicians, surgeons, athletic trainers, physical therapists, sports psychologists, nutritionists, coaches, and personal trainers. Most sports medicine physicians deal with non-operative musculoskeletal conditions. Others are orthopedic surgeons who have decided to focus their practice on the surgical treatment of sports injuries - like OrthoMiami's own Dr. Cesar Ceballos, Dr. J. Pieter Hommen, and Dr. Rafael Sanchez.
Who are Sports Medicine Specialists?
Sports medicine specialists are medical doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of sports- or exercise-related injuries and illness. A sports medicine specialist focuses on the medical, therapeutic, and functional aspects of exercise and works directly with athletes to improve their overall sports performance. Although sports medicine specialists work extensively with athletes, the majority - including Dr. Ceballos, Dr. Hommen, and Dr. Sanchez - will treat anyone who needs treatment for a sports or exercise-related injury.
Sports medicine specialists treat a wide range of physical conditions, including acute traumas such as fractures, sprains, strains, and dislocations. They also treat chronic overuse injuries including tendonitis, degenerative diseases, and overtraining syndrome.
What are Sports Injuries?
Sports injuries are injuries sustained while playing indoor or outdoor sports such as football, basketball, hockey, baseball, and tennis, or while exercising. Sports injuries can result from sports accidents, inadequate training, improper use of protective devices, or insufficient stretching or warm-up exercises. Common sports injuries include bone, muscle, ligament and tendon injuries that commonly involve joints such as the shoulders, knees, hips, ankles and feet.
Some of the common types of sports injuries treated by sports medicine specialists include:
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears
- Concussion
- Fractures
- Knee cartilage injuries
- Meniscal tears
- Patellar Tendonitis
- Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries
- Shoulder dislocation
- Shoulder separation
- Sprains and strains
- Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
- Tendonitis
Treatment for Sports Injuries
Treatment includes management of bruises, strains and sprains, fractures, dislocations, chronic injuries, torn shoulder ligaments, ACL ligament repair in the knee, as well as cartilage and meniscal repairs. Our surgeons accomplish most surgery through minimally invasive methods, and healing is expedited by physical therapy and a rehabilitation program to ensure a quick return to your sporting activities.
The most common non-surgical or conservative treatments our OrthoMiami sports medicine team recommends include:
- Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation (RICE) Therapy:
- Rest: Avoid activities that may cause injury.
- Ice: Ice packs can be applied to the injured area to diminish swelling and pain. Apply ice over a towel to the affected area for 15-20 minutes, four times a day for several days. Never place ice directly on the skin.
- Compression: Compression of the injured area helps reduce swelling, using elastic wraps, air casts, or splints.
- Elevation: Elevate the injured part above heart level to reduce swelling and pain.
- Activity Modification: Avoiding activities that trigger symptoms and adjusting your lifestyle
- Physical Therapy: A regular exercise regimen to improve range of motion and strengthen muscles
- Anti-inflammatory Medication: Medications like naproxen and ibuprofen used to relieve inflammation and pain
- Cortisone Injection: If physical therapy, medications, rest, and activity modification do not yield the desired results, a cortisone injection may be helpful. Cortisone is a very effective anti-inflammatory medicine for conditions such as bursitis and provides long-term pain relief for tears and structural damage.
Surgical treatment is employed when an individual has sustained a serious sports injury - a severe fracture, bone displacement, or soft tissue tear not amenable to conservative treatment. Dr. Ceballos, Dr. Hommen, and Dr. Sanchez perform many of the common surgeries used to treat athletes, including:
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction
- Rotator cuff repair
- Arthroscopy of knees, shoulders, and ankles
- Shoulder instability surgery
- Tendon repair
- Cartilage restoration
- Fracture repair
- Labral repair
- Biceps tenodesis surgery
Prevention of Sports Injuries
Some measures our OrthoMiami sports medicine specialists recommend to prevent sports-related injuries include:
- Follow an exercise program to strengthen your muscles.
- Gradually increase your exercise level and avoid overdoing it.
- Wear properly-fitted protective gear - elbow guards, eye gear, face masks, mouth guards and pads, comfortable clothes, and athletic shoes - before playing any sports activity.
- Follow warm-up and cool-down exercises before and after activity to stretch muscles, increase flexibility, and reduce soft tissue injuries.
- Avoid exercising immediately after eating a large meal.
- Maintain a healthy diet to help nourish the muscles.
- Avoid playing when you are injured or tired, and take rest breaks after playing.
- Learn all the rules of the game you are participating in.
- Ensure that you are physically fit to play the sport.
If you're dealing with a sports-related injury, Dr. Ceballos, Dr. Hommen, and Dr. Sanchez at OrthoMiami can evaluate your condition and recommend the most appropriate treatment path to get you back to the activities you love.