What is a Sports Medicine Provider, and Can I See One?
/You may be asking yourself what is a Sports Medicine provider? To be honest with you, I only found out the difference between sports medicine and general orthopedics in my last semester of Nurse Practitioner school. Because of this, I want to provide more insight into the differences so that you can be educated and empowered in choosing an orthopedic specialist that best fits your needs.
Sports Medicine is a specialty underneath the orthopedics umbrella. Just like you can see specialists who see only hips, shoulders and knees, foot and ankle, or the spine, you can see a sports medicine specialist. Dr. Clarke Holmes and I are Orthopedic Sports Medicine Providers. What might differentiate a sports medicine provider from a general or specialty orthopedist? Here are few key points:
1. One stop shop: Sports Medicine Providers see orthopedic conditions from the top of your head (concussions) to the tip of your toes, and everything in between
2. Conservative treatment options versus jumping right into surgery: Dr. Holmes and I will always be transparent with our patients if surgery is the best option, but why not try utilizing all the nonsurgical options first if surgery is not necessary?
3. We are experts in minimally-invasive procedures that can either prevent surgery or be an alternative to surgery: For example, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections are very successfully used for partial tendon tears and osteoarthritis of numerous joints. See our PRP blogs or check out our social media posts to learn more about PRP.
4. Improved accuracy of our injections by utilizing musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound guidance. Ultrasound is becoming a mainstay in the sports medicine world, and we’ve used MSK ultrasound for over a decade. We also use this daily to diagnose tendon tears, bursitis, joint swelling and ganglion cysts.
5. Holistic treatment: We care about the patient as a whole person and do not see them as just a body part, a diagnosis or a potential surgery. We develop a plan of action with the patient that considers what activities they like to do, their occupation, weight, nutrition, mental health and any other contributors to formulate an individualized treatment plan.
6. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AN ATHLETE TO SEE A SPORTS MEDICINE PROVIDER. Yes, we experts in treating athletes ranging from the youth to the professional ranks, but we also treat those who do not consider themselves an athlete. In addition, we see patients of all ages and all activity levels. One of my favorite things to treat is arthritis, even in those who do not exercise and just want their pain to decrease and daily function/activities to improve.
Hopefully this has provided clarification on the differences between a sports medicine orthopedic specialist and a other types of orthopedists. As always, let us know if we can be a resource to you!