Wednesday 4 June 2014

How Sports Medicine Can Help Active Individuals

By Neil P. Hines


The medical field is divided into numerous subspecialties allowing individuals to focus their work on specific areas that suit their personal interests. One of those areas is sports medicine, which involves studying the effects of physical activity on the human body. A physician who specializes in this field concentrates on the diagnosis of injuries, their treatment, and prevention.

Not all people in this field are licensed physicians. Personal trainers, for example, may or may not be medical doctors. The United States does not currently recognize this discipline as a training specialty for residency. Individuals must select another specialty and complete their residency if they want to pursue a career as a physician. After completion of residency, they can earn certifications and qualifications by participating in additional training.

Professional and amateur athletes depend on these professionals when they want to recover from an injury quickly. Experts in the field can devise custom workout programs designed to increase strength and improve endurance. Some people focus on nutrition and help their clients create healthy diets that enhance their workout problems.

Individuals who receive injuries can benefit from visiting a health care provider specializing in physical therapy. These professionals use various hands-on techniques to manipulate muscles and joints. Their goals are to relieve pain, eliminate tightness in the muscles, and increase range of motion.

Joint mobilization is one technique used by a physical therapist to stretch ligaments and help them move freely. Massage, trigger point release, and myofascial release manipulations relieve muscle spasms and help loosen up the muscles. A passive stretching exercise routine offers improved flexibility and better range of motion.

Other treatment protocols are useful for relieving pain and restoring normal function to injured ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Applying hot packs to the affected area increases circulation and relaxes muscle fibers. Cold packs cause blood vessels to constrict, which slows down pain signals to the brain. Electrical current applied to nerves and muscles is helpful for reducing swelling and eliminating painful muscle spasms. Electrical stimulation can also assist in strengthening muscles during rehabilitation. Some individuals undergo hydrotherapy because swirling water can help with flexibility and promotes quicker healing of a wound.

Individuals seeking help from professionals in this field can speed up the recovery time for strains, sprains, back pain, fractures, neck pain, and more. They will receive reliable information about nutrition and its effect on physical performance. One of the most important benefits is learning how to train in a way that prevents future injuries.




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