A sports injury specialist is a licensed health professional who specializes in the treatment and rehabilitation of sports-related injuries. He or she works with amateur and professional athletes as well as active people who want to maintain a healthy way of life.

There are two types of sports injury specialists: physical therapists and sports medicine physicians. It is important to note that physical therapy and sports medicine are often mistaken for being the same. It is understandable since both fields concentrate on healing injuries of the muscles and bones. But there are differences between the two.

Physical Therapy vs Sports Medicine: What is the difference?

Physical therapists are “health care professionals who diagnose and treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to the very oldest, who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. A sports medicine physician provides “comprehensive medical care for athletes, sports teams or active individuals.” They have significant specialized training in non-surgical sports medicine.

What Does a Sports Medicine Doctor do?

There are sports injury doctors who provide hands-on therapy but a greater part of their practice involves diagnosing injuries and disorders, conducting in-office sports medicine procedures and prescribing medication for the treatment of injuries, ordering diagnostic tests, and referring patients to physical therapists for specialized therapy. If you need to have a musculoskeletal injury treatment, you should see a sports medicine doctor first.

What Does a Physical Therapist do?

A physical therapist is not just a sports injury specialist. They also provide therapy that focuses on healing muscle and bone injuries using non-invasive techniques. Physical therapists work with patients over some time. The treatment they provide involves assessment of their patient’s physical abilities and providing the appropriate therapies while helping the patient learn the therapy techniques.

A physical therapist makes sure that his or her patient will be able to practice techniques on their own. Once a patient can practice on his own, the physical therapist will reassess the patient’s progress.

Sports medicine in Singapore is a specialized area that addresses challenges related to physical health and movement. But many people aren’t clear about what a sports physiotherapist does, as well as the role of a sports medicine physiotherapist.

Sports physiotherapists are seen in a variety of settings, including clinics, sports organizations, and private practices. Knowing the roles that sports physiotherapists play in health care will help you determine if working with one is right for you.

Specialized knowledge

Sports physiotherapists have the education and experience to work with patients from all walks of life. They use physical activity to establish long-term wellness, improved daily performance, and recovery from injury or chronic pain issues. Using exercise, patients prevent the onset of many common health issues. A sports physiotherapist helps diagnose and treat many injuries and illnesses.

Sports Physiotherapy Services

Sports physiotherapists provide a variety of services to support your health goals. Along with managing a wide range of injuries and health issues, they prescribe exercise programs that utilize strength and cardiovascular training.

The physical assessment performed by your sports physiotherapist is critical to achieving a customized exercise program. It considers your physical activities, health history, and other important information.

Sports physiotherapists can provide resources related to any medications you may be taking. Nutritional supplements and other aids can also be evaluated by your physiotherapist to ensure that you’re obtaining the proper support for your physical activities. If you’ve sustained an injury, your sports physiotherapist will create a plan to help you return to your sport while minimizing the risk of reinjury and maximizing daily performance.

What Issues Do Sports Physiotherapists Treat?

Joint-related injuries such as sprains and strains can be evaluated and treated by your physiotherapist. ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries are common in many sports, and a sports physiotherapist helps patients recover from these and other knee injuries.

Head injuries such as concussions can also be addressed by your sports physiotherapist. A concussion results from the application of force to the head, which causes trauma to the brain.

Concussions typically result in dizziness, nausea, and fatigue. They can lead to more serious conditions if left untreated, and working with a skilled sports physiotherapist from a reliable sports injury clinic in Singapore will help you achieve a full recovery.

Injuries related to the muscles lead to acute or chronic pain. Arthritis and other inflammatory issues can impair performance both on and off the playing field. A sports physiotherapist will treat these and other common issues while helping you achieve better results from your health care plan. Choosing a sports physiotherapist comes from understanding the roles they play in improving your health and performance.

Which Sports Injury Specialist is Right for You?

Sports medical doctors and physical therapists have a variety of treatments to offer patients. It may make it difficult to figure out which sports injury specialist is right for you.

Most primary care sports medicine specialists are doctors who have completed baseline training, often in family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine or rehabilitation medicine, before pursuing additional sports medicine training. They do not have expertise in surgery. Sports medicine surgeons, however, have completed an orthopaedic surgery residency.  Both non-operative sports medicine specialists and surgeons will suggest conservative approaches first, whenever possible and safe for you. The only time when you should default to a sports medicine surgeon is if you are fairly certain your situation will require a procedure to remedy. Otherwise, both are great options and provide exceptional sports medicine care.

When it comes to surgery, sports medicine physicians are the obvious choice. Physical therapists spend a length of time with their patients, from evaluating the injury, providing therapies, teaching patients to learn to do specific exercises on their own, to reassessing patients after therapy.

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