The Role of Sports Medicine in Youth Athletics
The fall sports season is officially here! Whether your young athlete shines at Friday night football games or weekend volleyball games, you know how important it is that they stay safe and healthy throughout the year.
While no parent wants to consider it, sports injuries do happen. They can range from relatively mild muscle strains to more severe concussions, and certain sports have a higher likelihood of injury (with football topping the list). Fortunately, there are steps you can take to ensure your child is ready for the sports season.
One of those steps is establishing a relationship with a sports physician–that is, a physician with a more in-depth understanding of the needs of youth athletes. At Sievers Sports Medicine, we specialize in providing care to athletes of all ages, including high school athletes right here in Portales.
But what exactly is sports medicine? Why is it so important for young athletes? Let’s explore a little further. And if you have specific questions, don’t hesitate to call our friendly staff!
What Exactly Is Sports Medicine?
Sports medicine is a field of healthcare focused on the needs of athletes and other active people. It’s primarily concerned with preventing, diagnosing, and treating sports-related injuries.
We understand how frustrating it is for athletes when they suffer an injury. Many athletes will try to push through the pain or downplay their symptoms so they can keep playing–usually to their detriment. As sports medicine specialists, we’re dedicated to helping local athletes recover as quickly as possible from their injuries without sacrificing safety.
A sports physician will also perform physicals and other check-ups to pinpoint potential issues that could increase injury risk or affect performance, helping to prevent injuries before they have a chance to happen.
Three Reasons to Choose Sievers Sports Medicine for Your Young Athlete
1. We Get Young Athletes Ready for the Season
We offer comprehensive sports screens to ensure your child is ready to start playing! While these screens are typically required for participation in youth sports, they’re also an opportunity for your young athlete to get information about conditioning programs, nutrition, and warm-up routines from an expert. We can also answer questions about the proper use of sports equipment or address other concerns your child may have.
2. We Understand Sports Injuries
We have extensive experience diagnosing and treating common sports injuries. You can divide sports injuries into two broad categories: acute and overuse. We can help with both, ensuring your child gets an early, accurate diagnosis for their complaints.
- Acute Sports Injuries: Acute sports injuries happen suddenly–for example, ankle sprains, bone fractures, or concussions. These injuries usually require immediate medical attention, which we provide through our same-day urgent care services. We can perform diagnostic X-rays and ultrasounds to fully assess the injury, and we also provide casting services.
- Overuse Sports Injuries: Overuse injuries aren’t as dramatic as acute injuries. They develop gradually, usually due to repetitive movements or improper conditioning. Conditions like tennis elbow, swimmer’s shoulder, or shin splints are all examples of overuse injuries. Some youth athletes might try to ignore an overuse injury, hoping it goes away on its own. Unfortunately, this just sets them up for a more severe injury down the line. Our team can assess these “small” injuries and provide the appropriate treatment to keep young athletes in the game.
3. We Offer Several Non-Surgical Treatment Options
The last thing a young athlete wants to do is undergo surgery, and we don’t blame them. We offer several interventions that can help address injuries without resorting to surgery, such as the following:
Therapeutic Exercise
- Targeted exercises to restore strength, mobility, balance, and function
Sports-Specific Exercises and Training
- Specialized training in the specific skills need to participate in a sport
Casting, Bracing, and Splinting
- Protects an injured body, helping to reduce pain and discomfort and facilitate healing
Regenerative Medicine
- Injections using the body’s natural healing processes to promote healing and reduce pain
One-Pot Creamy Tuscan Pasta
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk, or more as needed
- 8 oz penne pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, julienne-style, drained
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Directions:
- In a large skillet, add the butter, shallot, and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
- Add the tomato paste, oregano, and paprika. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, or until the tomato paste starts to darken.
- Add the chicken broth, milk, pasta, cherry tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes; season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 18-20 minutes, until the pasta is tender yet firm to the bite.
- Remove from heat and stir in the spinach and Parmesan cheese until the spinach is wilted and the cheese is incorporated.
- If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed until the desired consistency is reached.
- Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
This Month’s Winner
Our excited Yeti bottle winner! We draw a winner each month and that lucky winner gets a super amazing custom Yeti bottle. Enter to win by sharing your experience at Sievers Sports Medicine in a Google review.
Our Patients Are Seeing Great Results
Staff Spotlight: Reyes Montoya
Reyes Montoya ensures that your journey toward health from start to finish is seamless and well-coordinated. Reyes is dedicated to optimizing your care experience from handling queries and providing schedules. Schedule your appointment today to benefit from our comprehensive and efficient healthcare services.
Flexible Financing with CareCredit
The CareCredit health, wellness, and personal care credit card gives you a convenient, flexible way to pay for care for the whole family—including pets! With everyday promotional financing for purchases of $200 or more, you can pay over time with convenient monthly payments.
Self-Pay Options
- Payment Plans: Understanding that healthcare costs can be significant, we offer payment plans to spread the cost of treatment over time. These plans are flexible and can be tailored to suit your financial situation.
- Competitive Self-Pay Rates: We offer competitive self-pay rates for patients without insurance or those receiving treatments not covered by insurance. Please get in touch with our office for more information on our fees for various services.
Other Payment Methods
- Credit and Debit Cards: We accept all major credit and debit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
- Checks and Cash: Personal checks and cash payments are also accepted.
- Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA): Payments can be made using funds from your HSA or FSA accounts.
Clinic News
Dr. Siever’s spent a recent weekend camping and climbing in the Sangre de Cristo (Rocky Mountains) of New Mexico with friends.
He also had the privilege of helping with medical coverage at the Lea County Rodeo.
Schedule An Appointment Today!
Has your child had their pre-season check-up yet? Now’s the time to schedule an appointment at Sievers Sports Medicine to assess for injury risk and performance improvement strategies. Call us today to get started.
