What is sports medicine?
Sports medicine is a medical specialty that focuses on repairing and rehabilitating the types of injuries that athletes are prone to get. As a sports medicine specialist, Dr. Woodson also focuses on making lifestyle changes to strengthen your body, help you achieve better balance, and find more efficient ways of moving that avoid injury in the first place. He works with athletes and teams in all varieties of sports, including:
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- Hockey
- Soccer
- Ice skating
You don’t have to be a professional athlete to benefit from sports medicine; weekend warriors can improve from treatments and learn prevention strategies, too.
What kinds of conditions does sports medicine treat?
Dr. Woodson has expertise in treating a wide range of sports-related and overuse injuries that affect your joints, bones, and soft tissues. Commonly injured areas include:
- Foot and ankle
- Knee
- Hip joint
- Shoulder
- Hand and wrist
- Neck
Typical sports injuries include:
- Sprains and strains
- Fractures
- Dislocations
- Runner’s knee
- Tennis elbow
- Tendinitis
- Bursitis
- Cartilage tears
He also helps resolve chronic pain and disability due to osteoarthritis and repetitive use injuries.
What kinds of treatments are part of sports medicine?
As an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, Dr. Woodson and his team are qualified to treat sports injuries with everything from supportive therapies to state-of-the-art, minimally invasive Mako robotic surgeries. Some treatments he offers include:
- Orthotics to correct foot alignment
- Bracing to support injuries
- Joint injections for pain and inflammation
- Physical therapy
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair
- Rotator cuff repair
- Meniscus tear repair
- Joint replacement surgery
Sports medicine includes more than treating your present injury. Dr. Woodson’s goal is to help each athlete in his care reach peak health and optimal performance. He recommends working with a physical therapist to stay limber and strong.
Can I play sports after sports injury surgery?
Dr. Woodson considers rehabilitation as part of your surgical treatment so that you can get back to your sport as soon as it’s safe. If you have to undergo reconstructive surgery to your ACL, meniscus, or other areas, he prescribes physical therapy to:
- Strengthen your muscles
- Improve elasticity
- Optimize movement of joints and bones
He also recommends that you adopt the following preventive measures:
- Include strength training in your workout
- Warm up, cool down, and stretch before and after a game
- Always wear appropriate protective gear
- Nourish muscles with a whole-foods diet
- Pay attention to your body’s signals: Rest when tired
- Learn all of the rules of your game
- Get a physical to ensure you’re fit enough for your sport
- Don’t exercise or play sports after a heavy meal
To see Dr. Woodson for a sports injury or to book him as a sports medicine consultant for your team, reach out to his helpful staff by phone today.
