What is sports medicine?
Sports medicine is a podiatric specialty that diagnoses, treats, and prevents sports-related injuries. Anyone can experience a sports injury, but they’re especially common in:
- Children and teens
- People who fail to warm up before exercise
- Those who aren’t regularly active
- Individuals who play contact sports
If you or a loved one experiences a foot or ankle-related injury due to physical activity, it’s important to contact the team at Diablo Podiatry and Bay Vascular.
What issues can sports medicine treat?
At Diablo Podiatry and Bay Vascular, the team uses sports medicine to treat various issues, including:
- Achilles tendon injuries
- Ankle pain
- Heel pain
- Fractures
- Dislocations
- Strains
You might also benefit from sports medicine if you step down awkwardly and sprain your ankle.
What happens during a sports medicine appointment?
At Diablo Podiatry and Bay Vascular, a sports medicine appointment begins with a review of your health history and a discussion of your symptoms. Let your provider know when they first started, their severity, and if any specific activities make them worse.
Next, your provider physically examines your foot, ankle, heel, and toes. They look for areas of redness, bruising, or swelling and have you perform several tests to assess your strength and range of motion. If these steps don’t provide enough data to make a diagnosis, the team also orders diagnostic imaging, like X-rays, an MRI, or a CT scan.
After determining the source of your discomfort, they develop a custom treatment plan. Often, that includes at-home measures of care like ice, rest, elevation, and activity modification.
Can sports injuries be prevented?
There’s no way to prevent sports injuries entirely, but there are several things you can do to reduce your risk, including:
- Using the proper technique (i.e., lifting with your legs versus your back)
- Wearing the necessary safety equipment
- Warming up before exercise
- Cooling down after exercise
If you’re returning to sports after an injury, it’s important to ease into the activity. It’s better to go slow than it is to rush the process and hurt yourself again.
To learn more about the benefits of sports medicine, make an appointment at Diablo Podiatry and Bay Vascular by clicking the online booking feature or calling the office today.
