Get back in the game with sports medicine
Dr. John Conway is an associate professor with the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and is affiliated with Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute.
Sports medicine deals with the treatment of sports and exerciserelated injuries, but it isn’t just for professional athletes.
Dr. John Conway, a fellowshiptrained orthopedic surgeon and the former head team physician for the Texas Rangers, unpacks what you need to know about treating these types of injuries, and how every patient seen is provided with the same high-quality care as elite athletes at the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute.
Q: What is sports medicine?
A: Orthopedic sports medicine provides the evaluation and treatment of a wide variety of musculoskeletal problems involving muscles, tendons, bones and joints, that have been caused by sport participation, fitness training and everyday active lifestyle activities.
At the IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute, we diagnose and treat these problems in individuals of all ages and at all skill levels. Our goal is to help them recover quickly and return to the activities they love most. This includes utilizing the latest techniques in non-operative and surgical care while working closely with athletic trainers, physical therapists, primary care and internal medicine physicians to help these patients manage and prevent injuries. While you’ll see many physicians affiliated with the IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute in the training rooms or on the sidelines covering numerous collegiate and professional athletic programs across Greater Houston, most of our patients are not collegiate or professional athletes.
This year, I am bringing my 30 years of experience in sports medicine to help the Institute’s athletes and active lifestyle patients return to compete, exercise, play or work while also helping to train the next generation of orthopedic surgeons.
Q: Is sports medicine only for professional athletes?
A: Having served as a consultant on collegiate and professional teams does factor into the care I provide to my patients, but sports medicine is not limited to only people who play sports. In sports medicine, the treatment for a given injury varies based on age, sport, position, expectations and level of participation. Understanding the demands placed on a joint by a specific sport activity influences the decisions made regarding treatment and timelines for recovery.
For example, an elbow ligament injury in a baseball pitcher, an elite level gymnast and a rodeo bull rider would have different treatment plans.
The pattern of injury is different, the forces acting on the joint when the athlete returns to their sport are different, and the treatment must be different. We translate this expertise with professional athletes to the nonprofessional athlete.
At the Institute, we also see patients whose occupations require them to remain fit to perform their jobs, such as military personnel, firefighters, law enforcement officers and laborers. We treat these patients just as we would competitive athletes, with particular attention focused on their occupational demands and expectations. Finally, we see many weekend warriors; the active lifestyle patient who still finds time to exercise, train and compete with friends.
If pain or functional limitation is preventing them from doing the activities they love, we will work with them to define their problem, explain their treatment options and offer the best treatment plan to get them back out there.
Q: How do I prevent sportsrelated injuries?
A: Well, it’s not possible to prevent all sport-related injuries, but you can do things to diminish your risk for injury. A balanced approach to a healthy diet, aerobic conditioning, performance-directed exercise, and sport-specific training is essential to an active lifestyle, with or without competition. And it is important to understand that the rate at which you recover changes with age. Understanding your body, its abilities and limitations will help to prevent musculoskeletal injuries. Further, in most sports, mobility, flexibility and stability are just as important as power and strength for athletic performance.
This is true for active lifestyle activities as well and underscores the importance of muscle stretching, core stability and a balanced kinetic chain approach to exercise. And when injuries occur, they shouldn’t be ignored. See your primary care provider for routine checkups or referrals.
Finally, if you’ve been treated for a sports-related injury, be sure to follow your doctor’s advice, and complete your rehabilitation programs to promote a successful recovery.