Three Reasons An Amateur Athlete Should Make An Appointment With An Orthopedist
Posted on: 29 August 2019
Unless you're a professional athlete, you are not likely to have a specialist doctor for your body. However, you can still use an orthopedist. This type of doctor specializes in many of the issues that relate to problems you may have due to a sport. Orthopedic doctors and surgeons have expertise in muscles, joints, and bones, and they can address issues that come about because of athletic injuries. The following are a few instances when you should consider seeing an orthopedic surgeon.
You have pain with exertion
As long as you are not engaging in your favorite sport, you have no pain. Everyday activities are not a problem. However, when you are participating in your sport, you begin to notice pain. It may not be right away. For example, as a runner, you may not experience any pain for a few minutes, but then begin to notice pain, perhaps in one of your knees. It may also be immediate, as in the case of weight lifting. As soon as you put weight on your body, you notice the pain. Any pain that only manifests itself in your joints or muscles when you are engaged in sports is likely something that an orthopedist can diagnose.
Your movement is restricted
Perhaps you play tennis and you have noticed that you can't bring your arm back as far when you are serving the ball. Or maybe you play softball, and you find your swing with the bat to be restricted a little. Maybe you play basketball and find that you can't extend your legs as far when running from one end of the court to the other. There are many possibilities, but restricted movement in sports is often a sign you need a specialist. A general practitioner may not take the issue seriously. And if you are middle-aged, this same doctor may just chalk up your complaint to age.
You feel pain after your injury has healed
You may have had an injury to a muscle, bone, or joint that was diagnosed by a doctor, and it has now healed. It may not have been an injury that was sports-related, but now that it has healed, you still feel some pain. Your doctor is happy with the result. But you like to play sports, so this isn't good enough. An orthopedist can look at the recovered area and, after testing, determine if further improvement is possible. Your regular doctor may look at this type of treatment as elective, but if you like playing sports, it is something you want to look at.
If you experience any of the situations listed above, you should consider making an appointment with an orthopedist.
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