Sports Medicine

Sports Medicine

Sports Medicine, also known as sports and exercise medicine (SEM), is a branch of medicine that deals with the treatment and prevention of sports and exercise-related injuries and improving fitness and performance. The Sports Medicine experts at OrthoEnglewood have years of experience helping professionals and weekend warriors engage in sports and exercise in a safe and effective manner to accomplish their training goals.

What are Sports Injuries?

Sports injuries are injuries sustained while playing indoor or outdoor sports such as football, basketball, hockey, baseball, and tennis, or while exercising. Sports injuries can result from sports accidents, inadequate training, improper use of protective devices, or insufficient stretching or warm-up exercises. Common sports injuries include bone, muscle, ligament and tendon injuries that commonly involve joints such as the shoulders, knees, hips, ankles and feet.

Prevention of Sports Injuries

Some of the measures employed and advised by sports medicine specialists to prevent sports-related injuries include:

• Follow an exercise program to strengthen your muscles.
• Gradually increase your exercise level and avoid overdoing the exercise.
• Ensure that you wear properly-fitted protective gear such as elbow guards, eye gear, face masks, mouth guards and pads, comfortable clothes, and athletic shoes before playing any sports activity, which will help reduce the chances of injury.
• Make sure that you follow warm-up and cool-down exercises before and after a sports activity. Exercises will help to stretch the muscles, increase flexibility and reduce soft tissue injuries.
• Avoid exercising immediately after eating a large meal.
• Maintain a healthy diet, which will help to nourish the muscles.
• Avoid playing when you are injured or tired. Take rest breaks after playing.
• Learn all the rules of the game you are participating in.
• Ensure that you are physically fit to play the sport.