Sports Medicine Is Not Just for Athletes

It’s for anyone who has an injury or pain and wants to feel better and engage in a physically active lifestyle.

Prevention
As a family medicine physician with a sports medicine specialty,  I like to try to help patients learn strategies to prevent injuries from happening in the first place. For example, one of the things I offer is a pre-participation exam. This helps me to make individualized exercise recommendations to help strengthen the patient’s knees, hips and surrounding muscles, prior to their participation in a sports activity.

I also make recommendations that help patients avoid ACL injuries during non-contact sports with a lot of jumping and twisting, like basketball and soccer. (The ACL, anterior cruciate ligament, is one of four major connectors that link the bones to the knee joint.)

A pre-exercise physical is another service offered to patients to help me make appropriate recommendations. This is ideal for patients wishing to get started with a new exercise program or for those who want to build a home-exercise program; I also work with patients who have overuse injuries – something that can happen to any active person.
 

Treatments and Ultrasound
As a doctor of osteopathic medicine, I’m trained in osteopathic manipulative therapy. The goal of this type of therapy is to relieve tightness and restriction in the nerves and muscles. The technique involves the physician using their hands to apply light pressure, resistance and stretching to the patient to help assist in healing and prevention of further problems.

Also available to patients are ultrasound diagnostic services and guided pain-relief injections. Additionally, patients see me for sports-related concussion. Concussion management helps to support a safe return to work, school, sports and regular activities.

An Individualized Approach
Nutritional advice, as well as helping my patients start a more active, healthy lifestyle, regardless of disability or fitness level is another essential part of my practice.

Ultimately, my goal is to provide a  conservative, non-surgical approach to patient care. But when needed, I provide guidance, information and resources to patients and referrals for surgery or other treatments that are out of my scope.

Dr. Wemlinger is accepting  new patients. Book an appointment online at northriverfamilyhealthcenter.com, or call 866.543.7421.

North River Family Health Center recently welcomed Sara Wemlinger, DO, to the practice. Dr. Wemlinger is a board-certified family medicine physician with an added certificate of qualification in sports medicine.