What is Sports Medicine?
Sports medicine is a practice that focuses on healthy, pain-free athletic performance for patients. This means that you don’t have to play on a team to see a specialist; Anyone who is injured while active can benefit from seeing a specialist in sports medicine.
Sports medicine can be preventive or corrective. Most corrective treatment can be classified into two main categories: contact-based and endurance-based.
- Contact-Based - Sports such as basketball, football, and hockey commonly result in contact-based injuries, including torn ligaments, torn tendons, and broken bones.
- Endurance-Based - Running, swimming, and pitching are examples of endurance-based sports, which typically cause injuries of overuse and repetitive stress. These may result in injuries such as tendonitis and nerve entrapment.
Learn more about conditions that can be treated by a sports medicine specialist.
When Should I See a Specialist?
Since sports medicine can be corrective or preventive, there’s no wrong time to see a specialist. However, if you are experiencing chronic or recurring pain related to physical activity, you should consider seeing a sports medicine specialist at OrthoUnited. This pain may take place while playing your sport, during rest, or be physically present in swelling/bruising. Performance in your sport may be inhibited by this pain, and it’s important to address the issue early on for the best possible outcome.
You can also see a specialist immediately after an injury takes place. At our OrthoUnited Express Care locations, we are staffed with sports medicine specialists ready to treat patients with the direct care they need, without the hassle and delayed time of a referral.
Learn more about our Express Care.
Meet Dr. Stender, Sports Medicine Specialist
Dr. Zachary Stender is a sports medicine specialist at OrthoUnited. His expertise is in reconstructive and arthroscopic surgery, and his experience includes time serving with the Detroit Red Wings, Pistons, and Tigers. Dr. Stender has also served as the team physician for the Michigan Bucks and the Michigan Collegiate High School Football team.
Don’t let pain keep you from competing in the sports you love. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Stender or another one of our sports medicine specialists today!
