Many times put all of our trust in a man, or woman, to diagnose an injury
just because of what they wear on a white jacket. Where we go wrong is when we trust
their credibility without researching this doctor. Was, or will their assessment be
accurate? It is important to know exactly how you injured yourself and get the right
treatment. A medical specialist can be very costly for your insurance company, and can
waste a lot of you time and energy. Before you start calling doctors and making
appointments for your weekend football injury, there are some things you should
consider:
" Many injuries, even sports injuries don't require a
sports specialist
" If you do require a sports medicine specialist, finding
a good one can be tricky
Most injuries such as a sprain, bruised hip, or strain can be handled by
the family physician. If there is a compound fracture on the other hand, that is the
specialty of an orthopedist. They are well versed in the repair of bone, cartilage , and
muscle. So when should you consult with a sports medicine doctor? It's like this,
whenever you have an injury , any injury, that interferes with your sport or workout,
it's time to see a specialist.
" The best sports medicine specialists understand the special needs of an athlete." Or
at least they should according to Dr. Andrew Cosgarea, team physician and assistant
proffessor of orthopedic surgery at Ohio State University. These guys understand how
important athletics are important to you, and it's their job to make sure you can play as
you did before you got hurt.
A major problem is that, unlike other specialties like obstetrics or
ophthalmology, sports medicine is not a well defined field of medicine. A startling fact
that many might not know is that any doctor can put up a sign and claim to practice
sports medicine. Which causes another problem, since some can't tell a torn ligament from
a stained one, and that can be scary. Many health care providers get rich with fancy
titles, but few have the credentials. When you want a doctor who can handle your pain,
scout the field before you pour out you heart and money.
There are sports medicine physicians for primary care. Orthopedic
doctors, who are actually surgeons, rebuild problem joints and set broken bones.
Physiatrists, like orthopedists, specialize in skeletal and muscular problems, but aren't
qualified for surgery. "Ultra specialist" is a
sub name that includes doctors that specialize in certain areas, such as podiatrists and
dentists. Some of these people are good to see, but one must remember that generally,
there are no exams or screenings that will back up their sports medicine "expertise".
Evaluating the talent is a must. Ask arou
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