Primary Care Sports Medicine
It’s important to find the right team to keep you active. Just like your primary care physician manages your overall health, a primary care sports medicine physician takes care of your musculoskeletal health. They can treat conditions that affect your sports health and performance.
Our primary care sports medicine physicians evaluate most people who come to Baptist Health Orthopedic Care. They will listen to your issues, examine you and order any tests needed to confirm a diagnosis or treat your injury or condition.
This group of physicians, along with athletic trainers, provides a service unique to many orthopedics and sports medicine practices. They treat patients of all ages and activity levels, helping everyone get back to the activities they enjoy most.
Types of Conditions and Injuries We Treat
Primary care sports medicine physicians understand the entire body and are trained as primary care physicians. They also specialize in orthopedics and sports medicine. For this reason, they often manage the care of musculoskeletal injuries without surgery and will determine if an orthopedic surgeon’s expertise may be what you need.
Here are some common conditions our primary care sports medicine physicians treat.
- Concussions
- Fractures
- Hip labral issues
- Muscle and ligament injuries
- Overuse injuries
- Plantar fasciitis
- Sports hernias
- Tendonitis
Diagnosing Sports Injuries and Conditions
Our team of primary care sports medicine doctors evaluates you first with a physical exam. This includes gathering information about past injuries and treatments, symptoms and overall health history that offers insight into your condition.
They may order blood work, X-rays or ultrasound imaging to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms. They could also order a CT scan, MRI or electromyography (EMG), depending on the initial diagnosis and recommended treatment.
Primary Care Sports Medicine Treatments
Our primary care sports medicine physicians often begin treatment with the most-effective nonsurgical approaches available for your injury or condition. Braces or splints that immobilize a bone, muscle, joint or tendon often allow injuries to rest enough to heal. Physical therapy also proves effective for restoring function and range of motion. And our physicians regularly use injections of medication, platelet-rich plasma or stem cells to treat musculoskeletal injuries or conditions.
If your injury requires surgery, the primary care sports medicine physicians work with our board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons. Together, they will find the most effective, least invasive surgery that will resolve your problem and get you back to your life.
Establishing a well-rounded routine related to exercise, nutrition and sleep can help young athletes feel more in control and alleviate some of the emotional strain they are feeling. It can also help them stay fit and healthy so they are ready to return to formalized training, practice and competition.
A Trusted Sports Medicine Partner
You’ll get the same care as the professional, college and student athletes of South Florida. We have many sports medicine provider relationships in the community.
Our Approach to Primary Care Sports Medicine
From our primary care sports medicine team at Baptist Health Orthopedic Care, you can expect:
- A group of physicians with special training in the management of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions that impact athletic performance
- An emphasis on nonsurgical treatments proven to treat orthopedic injuries and conditions
- Access to the latest orthobiologics, including platelet-rich plasma and stem cell injections to speed up healing
- A network of care providers, including athletic trainers, who focus on getting you back to your normal activity quickly and preventing future injuries
Frequently Asked Questions
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Our conservative and proactive approach to diagnosing and treating concussions minimizes long-term effects and maximizes a quick recovery.
Since we cover most high school sports in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, college athletics and professional teams, it’s likely our initial evaluation will take place immediately after the injury. But, if you experience a concussion elsewhere, our team can evaluate you, following an evidence-based concussion protocol.
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Primary care sports medicine physicians are primary care doctors with additional training in orthopedics and sports medicine. Unlike orthopedic surgeons, primary care sports medicine physicians do not perform surgery. They do collaborate with orthopedic surgeons, giving you complete care for your injury or condition.
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Board certification means physicians have completed their educational requirements and have passed a test related to their specialty area. Fellowship training means they have extended their training beyond their specialty, offering them a deeper familiarity with their specialty and research opportunities.
Additionally, these physicians are training the next generation of physicians through a robust Primary Care/Sports Medicine fellowship. This advances our physicians’ training, as they must stay current with the latest research, diagnostic tools and treatments.
Meet Our Primary Care Sports Medicine Specialists
Miami HEAT Sports Medicine Center
The heart of the Institute, the Miami HEAT Sports Medicine Center, is located on the Baptist Health Doctors Hospital campus in Coral Gables. This facility houses several orthopedics and sports medicine clinics and an ambulatory surgery center with four operating rooms.
The Institute’s integrated network of locations includes outposts throughout the tri-county South Florida region.
I appreciate Dr. Swartzon’s conservative approach, and I knew he would help me avoid the expense and pain of total knee replacement surgery, if possible.
Research and Education
To give our patients the best results, our highly skilled physicians remain on the cutting edge of orthopedic research.
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