Pages

What Sports Medicine Can Do For 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.

Many people who seek out help from professionals in the field are amateur and professional athletes who have suffered injuries. Seeing a specialist can help speed up recovery time. A professional with the proper training can help clients learn to make healthy diet choices and select foods with the right combination of nutrients to enhance a training program. Clients receive instruction on proper training techniques to maximize the benefits of training by improving endurance and increasing strength.

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.

Joint mobilization is a technique that involves gently stretching the ligaments to allow the joint to move freely. Trigger point release, myofascial release, and massage are techniques used to eliminate muscle spasms and loosen up muscles. Passive stretching increases flexibility to improve the individual's range of motion.

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.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment