Sports medicine is an area of emphasis of health care providers that focuses on treating and preventing injuries in athletes. This is important because athletes need to recover quickly and safely to continue training and competing. They push their bodies hard, so sports injuries tend to affect athletes differently than everyday injuries. That’s why many athletes use sports medicine trainers.
Sports medicine trainers, similar to athletic trainers, are one of the first in line for treating athletic injuries and helping athletes prevent injuries.
What do sports medicine trainers do?
Many sports teams have athletic trainers who are able to respond quickly to help athletes recover from injuries. They also focus on injury prevention. However, athletic trainers are not trained in actually treating an injury at its cause.
Sports medicine trainers are skilled in treating the cause of an injury as well as assisting in recovery and prevention. Often, athletic trainers and sports medicine trainers work together to form a comprehensive treatment plan.
When should an athlete see a sports medicine trainer?
Not every sports team has its own sports medicine trainer, especially in lower levels of competition. In these cases, an athlete may want to take their own initiative to visit a sports trainer for treatment and injury prevention.
Sports medicine trainers can help athletes of all levels recover from:
- Ankle injuries — The ankles bear a lot of the body’s weight and must remain flexible enough for running, jumping, and other movements. The ankles face a lot of stress during training and competition. They’re vulnerable to injuries like sprains, strains, tears, and fractures that can all keep an athlete out of competition for a while.
- Knee injuries — Knee injuries are common in athletes because competition puts a lot of strain on the knees. The knees are made up of several muscles and soft tissue that can be hurt from bending the wrong way or twisting.
- Pulls and tears — An athlete’s muscles and soft tissue across the body are prone to pulls and tears. These kinds of injuries are especially common in the legs, which see a lot of use in athletic activity. Tears and pulls commonly affect the hamstrings, calves, and groin muscles.
- Fractures — An impact or too much pressure on a bone can cause it to break. Some fractures are minor hairline fractures while others are a complete break of the bone.
Visit iRISE Spine and Joint in Kendall, FL, to see a sports medicine trainer
Our sports medicine trainers at iRISE Spine and Joint in Kendall, Florida, are highly experienced in treating and preventing sports injuries. Whether you’re an amateur or professional athlete, our team is ready to help you improve your athletic performance. Contact us today to talk to one of our patient care coordinators about sports medicine or to schedule an initial appointment.
