How Sports Medicine Can Help Active Individuals

By Neil P. Hines


The medical field is divided into numerous subspecialties allowing individuals to focus their work on specific areas that suit their personal interests. One of those areas is sports medicine, which involves studying the effects of physical activity on the human body. A physician who specializes in this field concentrates on the diagnosis of injuries, their treatment, and prevention.

Some people working in this field are not medical doctors. Since it is not recognized as a residency training specialty in the United States, individuals who want to practice as physicians must complete residency in some other specialty first. They can then earn qualifications and certifications through additional training.

Professional and amateur athletes depend on these professionals when they want to recover from an injury quickly. Experts in the field can devise custom workout programs designed to increase strength and improve endurance. Some people focus on nutrition and help their clients create healthy diets that enhance their workout problems.

Physical therapy is a specialty that often overlaps with this segment of healthcare. Physical therapists manipulate joints and muscle with a wide range of hands-on techniques. These manipulations help increase the client's range of motion, relieve pain from injuries, and loosen up the muscles.

A physical therapist may lead the client through passive stretching exercises, which will increase range of motion and improve flexibility. For tight muscles and to provide relief from muscle spasms, they may use myofascial release, massage, or trigger point release techniques. Joint mobilization promotes greater freedom of movement in joints by gently stretching ligaments.

Other treatment protocols are useful for relieving pain and restoring normal function to injured ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Applying hot packs to the affected area increases circulation and relaxes muscle fibers. Cold packs cause blood vessels to constrict, which slows down pain signals to the brain. Electrical current applied to nerves and muscles is helpful for reducing swelling and eliminating painful muscle spasms. Electrical stimulation can also assist in strengthening muscles during rehabilitation. Some individuals undergo hydrotherapy because swirling water can help with flexibility and promotes quicker healing of a wound.

Patients who seek out this type of treatment often spend less time recovering from injuries such as sprains, fractures, strains, neck pain, backaches, and more. In addition to pain relief, they receive advice about nutrition that can help boost physical performance. Learning about training methods that prevent injuries is one of the biggest benefits of seeking professional assistance.




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