Sports medicine focuses on helping people improve their athletic performance, recover from injury and prevent future injuries.
It is a fast-growing health care field that helps amateur athletes, those who suffered injuries and try regaining full functioning, those with disabilities and those who need good results from an exercise regimen.
We are specialized in internal medicine, emergency medicine, family medicine, treating injuries in children, youth and adults. We have additional training in sports medicine and surgical training.
You may see our sports medicine specialist for the following reasons:
- Ankle sprains
- Fractures
- Knee and shoulder injuries
- Tendonitis
- Exercise-induced asthma
- Heat illness
- Concussions
- Eating disorders
- Cartilage injuries
In addition, sports medicine doctors can also give advice on nutrition, supplements, exercise, and injury prevention.
Basic steps to prevent sports injuries
- Stay hydrated. Drink water to prevent dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke.
- Alternate exercising different muscle groups and exercise every other day.
- Develop a fitness plan that includes cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and flexibility. This will help reduce your chances of injury
- Stretching exercises can improve the ability of muscles to contract and perform, reducing the risk of injury.
- Each stretch should start slowly until you reach a point of muscle tension. Stretching should not be painful.
- Aim to hold each stretch for up to 20 seconds.
- Cooldown properly after exercise or sports. It should take 2 times as long as your warm ups.
- Learn the right techniques to play your sport.
- Use the right equipment or gear and wear shoes that provide support and that may correct certain foot problems that can lead to injury.
- Always take your time during strength training and go through the full range of motion with each repetition.
- Rest when tired. Avoid exercise when you are tired or in pain.
- If you do sustain a sports injury, make sure you participate in adequate rehabilitation before resuming strenuous activity.
Sports Training
Components of sports training consist of individual key areas namely –
- The physical component that focuses on developing motor abilities.
- The psychological component that focuses on improving the athlete’s personality.
- The tactical component that focuses on acquiring and further development of different ways to conduct sports contest on a purposeful basis.
- The technical component that focuses on acquiring sports skills through motor learning.