What Does It Mean To Have A Sports Medicine Fellowship?

Sports Medicine Giving therapy to patient

Are you an athlete? Do you enjoy physical activities and exercises to keep yourself healthy and active?

If you answered yes to either or both of these questions, you might have already experienced a sports injury. If not, consider yourself lucky—or maybe you just have a highly experienced sports medicine doctor by your side. Despite the name, they don’t treat only sports injuries.

Any medical profession is a critical job that requires precise skill and knowledge. The same goes for sports medicine doctors. And that’s why sports medicine fellowships are crucial.

WHAT IS SPORTS MEDICINE FELLOWSHIP TRAINING?

A fellowship is specialized training in a doctor’s focus, resulting in their expertise. It typically lasts for a year, but this may vary, depending on the specialty in which the fellowship is being done.

Sports medicine is an available fellowship option in orthopedics. It focuses on the comprehensive care of athletes, encompassing:

  • Evaluation
  • Nonsurgical and surgical treatments
  • Physical therapy and rehabilitation
  • Sideline coverage of different types of sports

Fellowship training lets sports medicine doctors become experts in restoring function to injured patients and bringing them back on their feet quickly. They also become experts in preventing injuries and illnesses in active people.

Some injuries or conditions that a sports medicine doctor can treat include:

  • Fractures
  • Ankle sprains
  • Knee and shoulder injuries
  • Tendonitis
  • Exercise-induced asthma
  • Heat illness
  • Concussion
  • Eating disorders
  • Cartilage injuries

In addition to treating and preventing sports injuries, sports medicine doctors can advise on nutrition, supplements, and exercise.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING SPORTS MEDICINE FELLOWSHIP TRAINING?

During sports medicine fellowships, a doctor will spend significant time interacting with and evaluating athletes of all types and ages.

That way, they can perfect their physical examination and clinical skills. These are of utmost importance when evaluating injuries and determining the appropriate treatment.

Additional training includes reviewing imaging modalities, like CAT scans and MRIs. These are valuable skills when assessing the severity of an injury and how to care for it.

The goal is to return athletes and active individuals to the sports and activities they love. It also includes eliminating injuries that cause pain and disability.

WHY ARE SPORTS MEDICINE FELLOWSHIPS IMPORTANT?

A large part of fellowship training in sports medicine involves learning and practicing the most advanced and state-of-the-art techniques.

With orthopedic surgery steadily evolving, doctors should know how to use the most advanced treatments and techniques to quickly get individuals back in the game with better functionality and strength.

While residency will prepare an orthopedic doctor to handle most injuries and procedures, fellowships help hone their skills. They gain expert knowledge to provide more advanced treatment for more complicated conditions. Doing so requires more specialized surgical training, which they acquire through fellowships.

Sports medicine doctors are often relied upon as experts when dealing with athletes. Due to having experience and knowledge from fellowship, they can:

  • Provide skills to cover teams
  • Understand the dynamic between players, coaches, and training staff, letting them handle interactions between young athletes and parents
  • Become more adept in caring for individuals and teams
  • Make better-informed decisions, such as returning to play, when to hold, when to proceed with surgical interventions, etc.

Through fellowship training, sports medicine doctors learn everything from acute injury management to preventing reoccurrences.

With that, they become more qualified to help prime athletes for peak performance and guide them toward recovery. You are in good hands when a sports medicine doctor has fellowship training.

SPORTS ORTHOPEDICS IN WOOSTER, OH

Sports medicine fellowships are highly valuable in making doctors comfortable and knowledgeable in dealing with sports injuries in athletes of all ages. The opportunity to evaluate and participate in the care and rehabilitation of athletes helps them be well-versed in treating different conditions.

Here at Wooster Community Hospital, we have multiple physicians with fellowship training in sports medicine. We offer our valued patients the most advanced and up-to-date treatments and rehabilitation. Our specialists also advise on nutrition for peak athletic performance. We strive to keep our patients moving through life with ease and comfort.

If you want the best hospital in Wooster, Ohio, call our friendly staff at (330) 263-8144. You may also set up an appointment by submitting an online request form. We look forward to getting you back in the game!