Sports Medicine
Sports medicine is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries due to athletic activity. A primary aim of sports medicine is to prevent and treat injuries that result from training and competing in sports. The most common sports injuries include: muscle pulls (hamstring, thigh, calf, back, and shoulder), sprains (ankle, knee, and wrist), tendnitis (Achilles and rotator cuff), shin splints, tennis elbow, and runners knee.
Many sports injuries and disorders are treated with arthroscopic surgery, a minimally invasive surgical method that utilizes a camera to look inside a joint along with specialized instruments to carry out any necessary surgery in that joint.
The practice of sports medicine is a coordinated effort with input from physicians, orthopedic surgeons, rehabilitation specialists, athletic trainers, and physical therapists. Sierra Pacific Orthopedics employs a multidisciplinary approach to sports medicine, with specialists in shoulder, elbow, hand, knee, foot and ankle, and spine disorders. In this way, we offer the athlete the most comprehensive services in order to minimize downtime and expedite return to normal activity. Primary care musculoskeletal physicians are available for evaluation and treatment of nonsurgical orthopedic problems. Each surgical suite at the Sierra Pacific Surgery Center offers state-of-the-art arthroscopy equipment. An advanced physical therapy complex provides nonsurgical and postoperative care tailored to the athlete’s individual problem. Our physicians are experienced in treating professional, college, high school, and recreational athletes. We evaluate the athlete’s training program, nutritional status, physical development, biomechanics, and overall progress. We use bone mineral density testing to determine whether training is having a beneficial or detrimental effect on bone status and health.
We monitor athletes on a regular basis and make timely recommendations. We support and promote training programs that lead to increased muscle mass and decreased fat weight, while preserving bone mass and basal metabolic rate.
Understanding the value of education, our physicians work closely with the athletic training and physical therapy departments at Fresno State University. We also work hand-in-hand with the Clovis Unified School District trainers to ensure the safe competition of the youth of the Central Valley.
With other services including custom knee bracing, a pitching mound, and a pool therapy unit, the Sierra Pacific Orthopedics is uniquely qualified to manage your sports medicine problem.
Services Provided:
- Preparticipation examinations of athletes at different ages and levels, including: junior high, high school, collegiate, amateur, and professional.
- Comprehensive medical evaluations of athletes with certain problems and disorders, including: hypertension, arrhythmia, heart murmur, exercise-induced chest pain, dyspnea, asthma, seizure disorder, head injuries, and spinal, joint, and muscle injuries.
- Exercise treadmill testing to evaluate the athlete’s level of fitness and to screen for underlying heart disease.
- Exercise spirometry to evaluate the athlete for exercise-induced asthma.
- 24-hour holter monitor and ambulatory blood pressure monitor to evaluate athletes for potential arrhythmia and hypertension.
- Body composition testing, using skin fold measurements, and bone mineral density testing, using DEXA scan to determine the effects of training on lean body mass and bone mineral density, and screen for such problems as obesity, underweight, osteopenia, and osteoporosis.
- Scoliosis screening and evaluation of young athletes.
- Biomechanical evaluation of athletes with musculoskeletal problems and deficiencies, including treatment, rehabilitation, strength advancement, and training advice to help correct physical deficits.
- Sports nutrition evaluation and education, especially in regards to optimal caloric and fluid intake, and the pros and cons of dietary supplement and ergogenic aids.
