Q: What type of patients do sports medicine physicians treat?
A: A common misconception is that sports medicine physicians only care for competitive athletes. In fact, we treat everyone from youth athletes and weekend warriors to active people and elite athletes. When you see us, you are seeing a medical provider who is passionate about keeping you physically active, at whatever level that might be.
Sports medicine physicians are medical specialists in the non-operative treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. Most sports and musculoskeletal issues don’t require surgery and we work closely with physical and occupational therapists for rehab purposes. However, if surgery is required, we can expedite referrals to orthopedic surgeons.
Sports medicine physicians are specially trained in innovative, minimally invasive procedures designed to expedite recovery from injury and avoid surgeries. One example is regenerative medicine, which utilizes specialized substrates, such as platelet rich plasma (PRP) and stem cells, to regenerate injured tissue. Another particularly unique tool in my clinic is the diagnostic ultrasound, which can image muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries immediately at the office.
As a Hoag sports medicine physician, I’m excited to be able to offer patients such a wide array of diagnostic and treatment options.
