Orthopedic doctors and sports medicine doctors are experts in treating orthopedic injuries and conditions, but their training and specializations are slightly different. Knowing the differences can help you make a better-informed decision when choosing between them.
Let’s talk about the key differences between an orthopedic doctor and a sports medicine doctor.
Orthopedic Doctors
An orthopedic doctor is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of musculoskeletal system-related injuries, conditions, and diseases. The musculoskeletal system includes bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues.
An orthopedic doctor’s extensive training allows them to treat musculoskeletal conditions using nonsurgical and surgical treatments. They provide operative treatments for all manner of orthopedic injuries and diseases. An orthopedic doctor can perform joint replacement surgery, bone grafting, fracture repair, and more through traditional and minimally invasive techniques.
Sports Medicine Physicians
To become a sports medicine physician, a doctor will need fellowship training in sports medicine, which is a subspecialty that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sports injuries, which refers to injuries sustained from athletics and exercise. Sports medicine physicians can treat sprains, strains, ligament tears, meniscus tears, fractures, rotator cuff injuries, pitcher’s elbow, tennis elbow, jumper’s knee, concussion, and much more.
Sports medicine physicians provide comprehensive care and nonsurgical treatment to professional and amateur athletes, weekend warriors, and those with an active lifestyle. They often serve as sports team physicians. Sports medicine physicians often have other providers on their team, including athletic trainers and physical therapists. They all work together to help patients get back to their pre-injury state and reach peak performance.
Sports medicine physicians perform a lot of the same duties as orthopedic physicians. However, their patient base is slightly different. While an orthopedic doctor will see patients of all lifestyles, ages, and backgrounds, sports medicine doctors see patients who want to be physically fit and perform athletic or physically demanding activities. These patients have different needs than the typical patient. As such, sports medicine focuses on treatments and techniques to help patients reach their peak performance quickly and effectively.
You don’t need to be an athlete to receive treatment from sports medicine doctors. They are an excellent resource for someone who wishes to become active for the first time or return to an active lifestyle. If anything, sports medicine pushes patients to reach their best physical state, which everyone can benefit from, athletes and non-athletes included.
Sports Medicine Doctor Near Me in Farmington Hills, MI
At Tri-County Orthopedics, sports medicine is the specialty of our orthopedic surgeons. You won’t have to choose between an orthopedic surgeon and a sports medicine doctor, since our doctors have extensive training in orthopedics and sports medicine. Moreover, our physicians are also trained in traumatology, which allows us to treat severe orthopedic trauma injuries.
For over 50 years, we have been providing quality orthopedic services to the community. To start with your treatment and recovery, make an appointment with us today. Call (248) 474-5575 or use our online request form
