The Sports Medicine Field By Storm

The movie Varsity Blues is riddled with sports related injuries. The audience is shown the dangers of playing while injured, as well as the consequences of the immense pressure put on student athletes. In almost all cases of injury in the movie, the treatment of these injuries is carried out entirely wrong. While watching the movie, the audience sees injuries ranging from torn ligaments and muscle strains to a broken nose, a concussion, and dehydration.

Being able to help athletes return to the sport they love after an injury sounds like a great job, but what if I told you that the job of a sports medicine physician comes with a lot of health risks and lack of sleep? Many physicians work in small private offices or clinics. They are often assisted by a small staff of nurses (“Career Guide”). They must evaluate athletes before they participate in sports to prevent them from reinjuring something (“Sports Medicine Physicians”). Sports medicine physicians must perform physical examinations, record information, and maintain medical records (“Sports Medicine Physicians”). Their goal is to help treat athlete’s injuries to help them return to the sport they are in. The issues that concern me about being a sports medicine physician are the long, irregular hours, the health issues that can result from lack of sleep, and the risks that can result the irregular hours.

When I was in high school I was in the band and I attended the football games to perform. During this four year experience I experienced players getting injured on the field both minor and severe. One thing that I took away from this time was how the athletic trainer was always there to get the player the care they needed in order for the game to on. In my mind they were the hero of that moment because you have a player go down and it looks like a bad situation but then the trainer comes out and the player is able to stand and walk of, be carried off, or be carted off the field. So in that fast past moment the situation goes from hopeless to hopeful that the player will be okay.

Dr. Jeff Roderick is an experienced chiropractor who is certified in the Active Release Technique and trained in the myofascial release modality. He also holds an official Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician designation. Over the course of his career, he has served as a chiropractic sports medicine physician at the Salt Lake City Olympics, the team physician for the Madison and South Fremont high schools, and a chiropractor with Madison Ridge Chiropractic. While working for Madison Ridge, Dr. Jeff Roderick earned special recognition for excellent service and dedication to the chiropractic profession from the Logan College of Chiropractic.

Has your favorite sports athlete got hurt playing your favorite sport? Well being a Sports Medical Physician could possibly be helping that person. When I got hurt this past winter, I had to go see a Physician's Assistant, which looked at my injury and diagnosed what needed to be done just like a Sports Medical Physician would do. Becoming a Sports Medical Physician may be a difficult job, with many years of hard work and college, but if you like to help athletes get into better shape to get back to their sport, then this is for you. This is why I believe going to college, training hard, and focusing on your job will help anyone to becoming a successful, high educated, and well payed, Sports Medical Physician.

Throughout my life, I have always held myself to very high standards. From my studies to my extracurricular activities, I have always made sure that I was the best I could possibly be. My interest in studying at Georgetown shows my devotion to continuing the high standards I have set for myself. Attending Georgetown University is an honor and a privilege for those who are accepted. I plan on studying in the pre-medical program with hopes of becoming a Sports Medicine Physician. I have always loved everything about athletics and can get enjoyment out of watching just about any sport. Whenever one of my favorite players suffers an injury, I like to follow their path to recovery. Watching their recovery after surgery to repair the injured area

There is a licensing exam that sports medicine physicians have to take. Once the fellowship is complete, prospective physicians must apply for a state medical license. Each state has its own licensing program. Obtaining a state license is the last step in becoming a sports medicine physician. Like any medical license, obtaining a sports medicine license is a step-by-step process.

Dry needling is a technique based off of neurophysiology, it requires an evaluation of the neuromuscular system, Physical therapist participate in outside programs to become fully equipped and trained to utilize dry needling alongside normal physical therapy programs. Researchers have proven that dry needling controls pain, reduces muscle tension and helped speed up recovery time.

Trigger point dry needling (TDN) is a treatment in which practitioners insert thin, sterile filiform needles into patients for the purpose of pain relief by stimulating underlying myofascial trigger points, muscles, tendons, and connective tissues. This technique is not only used for the management of neuromuscular pain relief, but it is also used to treat movement impairments and dysfunctions in skeletal muscle, fascia, and connective tissue. Dry needling is also implemented in clinical practice for the purpose of reducing and eventually restoring impairments of body structure and function (American Physical Therapy Association [APTA], 2013). These purposes for dry needling eventually lead to improved activity and function

aged 43-70 years (mean 54.0 yr). Each subject completed a daily exercise log noting type,

Initially, when being introduced to physical therapy, there is an examination to determine and evaluate a patient, and to determine what method of treatment should be followed to assist in recovery and prevention of further injury. When a program has been designed, it is designed specifically to treat that individual’s injury or disability, as every injury and goal of an individual is subjective. It is devised to treat and reduce pain if any. Therapeutic heat is frequently used to ease muscle pain and aches because it may “reduce muscle guarding and spasm, and aid tissue elasticity” (Hensley), then to create a safe and constructive way to exercise and educate the patient for treating and preventing future injuries. While heat is used to reduce muscle pain, “heat increases blood flow, also aiding in healing many injuries, it should not be applied within 48 hours after injury” (Sports Injuries) because it can increase swelling. Within the first 48 hours after an injury, cryotherapy/icing, should be

Blood supply to the muscle is important as when massaging it will dilate capillaries and allow more blood flow through, this increase of blood heals quicker and may restore oxygen and nutrients to the specific injured or painful area.

Chodzko-Zaiko, W. J., Proctor, D. N., Fiatarone-Singh, M. A., Minson, C. T., Nigg, C. R., Salem, G. J. et al. (2009). American College of Sports Medicine

Sports medicine is mainly involved with injuries caused my sports or/and physical activity. Physical activities have been around for decades, either if it’s fighting, playing a game that contains physical contact, but when was the first injury recorded for sports medicine? The first injury to be recorded was the fight of Homer and Apollo (the god of the sun) in the late 850 BC. According to the Greeks and Romans, fighting was a regular thing, especially man against man, to represent who had the most power, and this is when Homer got multiple injuries, now I know you might think this is mythology and it might not be true, but for a matter a fact Romans had traditional fightings, it was completely normal for them and there were many injuries and deaths caused by those violent fightings, but as the times passed, and the development/ creations of sports like basketball and baseball began the historical movements of sports medicine., even the minor injuries have effect to sports medicine, so a simple sprain or scrape was still well-known as an injury, but as more inventions began, and the detailing of sports became more aggressive the injuries began to grow. The major effect of this situation is the deaths caused by a traumatic brain injury, mostly concussions, and researchers have made a new discovery, on September 27, 2017 they identify a CTE Biomarker that may lead to diagnosis while alive. This is highly important because the concussion rate has been

On occasion, injuries can lead to surgery but more often than not a physical therapist is referred. At a physical therapy clinic, patients are examined and rehabilitation plans are formed based on their injuries. Depending on the physical therapist and the severity of the injury, rehabilitation plans may include modalities such as dry needling, rest ice compression elevation (RICE), and self-myofascial techniques. There are many attributes to choosing which technique will be most beneficial to the patient. There are pros and cons to each technique but each one can be useful just as it can be harmful.