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How Sports Medicine Can Help Keep You at the Top of Your Game

Phoenix Foot and Ankle Institute Blog How Sports Medicine Can Help Keep You at the Top of Your Game

Sporting activities such as baseball, football, and soccer are great ways for you to stay in shape while enjoying time with friends. But if you’re not careful and prepared, these activities can lead to more than just a loss on the field. Sports injuries can really put a damper on your game, and leave you laid up and in pain.

That’s where the skilled team at the Phoenix Foot and Ankle Institute come into play. Dr. Jefferey McAlister is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who can not only help you deal with an acute sports injury, but can also help you prevent future injuries and problems down the road.

What does sports medicine entail?

Sports medicine is truly a game-changer in today's healthcare world. It deals with any kind of issue involving the ligaments, muscles, and bones, and provides athletes of all skill levels and sports backgrounds with customized care after falling victim to injury. However, this type of medicine doesn’t just focus on treating injuries — it also involves injury prevention and optimal health to help you succeed in your sport.

Although being an athlete is fun and challenging, it can also be disastrous if you’re not completely prepared. If you’re looking for an excellent sports medicine doctor to get and keep you on track, Dr. McAlister can help you treat the many different types of injuries you could sustain, including:

In addition, sports medicine encompasses treatment for other types of conditions, such as concussions and exercise-induced asthma.

Dr. McAlister incorporates many different approaches to sports medicine, not just injury treatment and prevention. He also applies:

All of the above help keep you in tip-top shape so you can excel at your game both on and off the field. By incorporating treatment along with vital information on nutrition, supplements, and exercise, Dr. McAlister gives you the best chance at being the athlete you’ve always dreamed of.

What to expect out of treatment

At our facility, Dr. McAlister treats a wide variety of conditions related to sports. He specializes specifically in foot and ankle conditions, many of which you may sustain on the field. However, not all sports-related injuries are acute in nature. You may be diagnosed with an overuse injury such as:

These types of injuries occur over time, and can require different levels of treatment depending on how severe your condition is. Some of the treatments that Dr. McAlister may recommend for mild injuries include ice, anti-inflammatories, and rest. However, if you’re suffering from something more severe, there are other therapies that can help, such as:

Other treatment options you may consider are amniotic membrane allograft therapy and platelet-rich plasma injections. Dr. McAlister offers both these treatments, and both can be helpful in healing chronic overuse injuries as well as acute issues. Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is an injection that’s derived from your own blood. The blood is spun down in a centrifuge, and the concentrated plasma is injected into the area of injury.

PRP can help you get back on your game with little-to-no recovery time. It works by attracting growth factors to the area where it’s injected. Those begin working on healing and regenerating the tissues in the area of injury. PRP injections can be used to heal joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles after injury or surgery.

Amniotic membrane allograft therapy uses pluripotential cells from your own body — cells that can differentiate into any type of cell needed for healing. Again, Dr. McAlister injects the cells directly into the injured area to speed healing.

Along with these injections and other treatments, Dr. McAlister may also give you tips on how to continue to stay injury-free. These may include specific stretches, tailored exercises, and proper nutrition. He can guide you to a healthy, active lifestyle while avoiding the pains of getting hurt.

Whether you’re looking to improve your game, seek treatment for an injury, or start a fitness routine to get into shape, Dr. McAlister has the skills and knowledge to give you the treatment and guidance you need. Call either of our convenient locations in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona at 602-761-7819 or book an appointment with us online today. 

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