Everyone at some point will sustain a sports injury. A sports injury is one that occurs during sports, exercise, and other physical activities. A sports injury could involve hard tissues such as bones, or soft tissues such as nerves, ligaments, muscles, and cartilage.
A sports injury can make it challenging to do even the simplest of things. While there are some sports injuries that get better with self-care, there are those that require treatment by a medical professional. A sports medicine doctor specializes in diagnosing, treating, and preventing sports injuries. Here are signs that it’s about time for you to see one.
#1 Your Symptoms are Getting Worse
Common symptoms of an acute injury such as pain, tenderness, redness, swelling, and limited range of motion should improve gradually with self-care, like the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) method. If it’s been several weeks and the symptoms are getting worse, it’s time to have it evaluated by a sports medicine doctor for a diagnosis and possibly specialized treatment.
#2 You Are Eager to Return to Your Sport Soon
If you are an athlete or a fitness buff, you must be eager to return to your activity. Nobody likes to be sidelined by an injury, and there are steps to take that can help you recover sooner from an injury. Who better to help you achieve that than a sports medicine doctor? A sports medicine doctor can quickly diagnose and treat an injury and put you on the path to recovery sooner using a combination of techniques that help you get better without surgery. A sports medicine doctor designs a treatment program that includes rehabilitation exercises to get you back to your pre-injury state and safely return to your sport or exercise.
#3 You Have a Chronic Injury
A past injury that keeps returning is a good indication that an injury did not completely heal. It could also mean that changes need to be made to your conditioning program and technique. Cross-training is one of the ways to avoid repetitive motion or overuse injuries in sports. Weakness and muscular imbalances can also cause chronic injuries, all of which can be expertly addressed by a sports medicine doctor.
#4 You Want to Improve Your Athletic Performance
You don’t have to wait for an injury to visit a sports medicine doctor. With their in-depth knowledge of sports injuries and specialized skills, sports medicine doctors serve professional athletes, as well as amateur sports enthusiasts. A sports medicine doctor can help improve athletic performance by designing individualized conditioning and exercise programs, offering advice on safe training protocols and better sports techniques, and recommending nutrition and lifestyle changes that benefit your game and help you reach your sport and fitness goals.
It is difficult to know how bad your injury is without a proper evaluation by a sports medicine expert. If in pain or in doubt, trust a sports medicine doctor with your care.
Sports Medicine Doctor in Dallas, TX
At Reagan Integrated Sports Medicine, our sports medicine doctors treat patients of all ages. Our multidisciplinary team specializes in sports injuries and offers advanced non-surgical treatments that boost the orthopedic health of athletes and non-athletes. Our team is led by Sports Medicine Diplomate (DACBSP) and an international lecturer in the area of sports medicine and rehabilitation, Dr. Camille Reagan.
You are guaranteed to get the highest quality, personalized, and patient-centric sports medicine care in our clinic. Our facility is well-equipped with the most advanced technologies. If you have any questions or to schedule an appointment with one of our sports medicine doctors, call our clinic today at (972) 503-7272 or use our convenient appointment request form.
