On the other side of the age spectrum, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that Baby Boomers experienced more than 1 million sports injuries requiring treatment in 1998 alone. As people age, their bodies tend to lose muscle mass and have tendons that are thickened and stiff, which can contribute to injury. Older athletes are more prone to heat exhaustion, tendonitis, bursitis, and lower back pain. Whether tennis elbow or a torn ligament, sports injuries can be quite complex and, if improperly treated, end a person's participation in a sport. Sports medicine physicians specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of patients with sports injuries.
Many insurance companies cover medically necessary treatment of sports conditions.
The good news is that sports medicine physicians aren't just for the elite or professional athlete anymore they treat children, high school athletes, dancers, and the weekend league players. A recreation league basketball player could require arthroscopic reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament, while 'RICE' -rest, ice, compression, and elevation could be sufficient for a professional athlete's mild ankle sprain. Not all sports-related injuries require surgery, says Dr. Rizio, who notes that he presents modified activity as an option to his patients. But when an operation is necessary, he might suggest doing the repair arthroscopically, as was the case with Mr. Repekta. An arthroscope is a thin, telescope-like device with a camera that can be inserted into tiny openings to look within the body's joints.