PRIMARY CARE SPORTS MEDICINE

Primary Care Sports Medicine physicians focus on health care for physically active individuals and athletes.

Not just athletes, they treat anyone who is physically active to help them improve performance, enhance overall health, prevent injury, and maintain physical activity throughout their lives. Most patients are active adults and children, “weekend warriors,” “industrial athletes,” or even those who are not physically active but have orthopedic issues.

More and more patients are looking for their guidance to improve health, maintain strength and endurance, and sustain an active lifestyle. Exercise can be used as a medicine, and children and adults can be encouraged to maintain an energetic lifestyle. Primary Care Sports Medicine physicians help find a role for exercise in treating conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and even depression.

While some Primary Care Sports Medicine physicians are surgeons who repair damage to tendons, ligaments and joints, Primary Care Orthopaedists concentrate on nonsurgical care, including:

• Comprehensive health care for the active patient.
• Diagnosis and treatment of sports or activity-related and unrelated injuries and illnesses.
• Developing treatment plans tailored to the patients’ specific needs and athletic goals.
• Use of manual techniques to prevent and treat muscular and skeletal conditions common in athletes.
• Specialized knowledge of the principles of athletic conditioning.
• Focus on injury prevention and rehabilitation, including injuries common to specific sports.
• Nutritional guidance for building strength and endurance in support of athletic performance.
• Expertise in exercise physiology, rehabilitation, nutrition, cardiology and treatment of traumatic injuries.

Primary Care Sports Medicine physician treat:

• Acute injuries such as ankle sprains, joint injuries, dislocations, and nonsurgical fractures.
• Overuse injuries including stress fractures, tendonitis, and osteoarthritis.
• Traumatic brain injuries.
• Concussions.
• Helping athletes with acute illnesses (mononucleosis, asthma).
• Nutrition.
• Exercise prescriptions for people who want to become more active.
• Injury prevention.
• “Return to play” decisions for injured or ill athletes.
• Pre-participation physical examinations.
• Exercise promotion.

Many Primary Care Sports Medicine physicians are active with sports teams:

• Working with an athletic team, a university sports program, or a fitness club.
• Consulting with athletic trainers, coaches, and athletic directors on injury prevention and performance enhancement.

You don’t have to be a high-level athlete to see a Primary Care Sports Medicine physician. Contact one of them at Florida Orthopaedic Institute to schedule an appointment.