Sports medicine is for people of all ages with a health problem or injury. The sports physician can make a diagnosis, prescribe medication, perform an infiltration to relieve pain or recommend treatment by another health professional.
Why consult a sports doctor?
The sports physician works on the front line in the evaluation and investigation of the following conditions:
- Sports injuries
- Bursopathy
- Tendinopathy
- Capsulitis
- Cervicalgia (neck pain)
- Lumbago (back pain)
- Concussion (mild traumatic brain injury)
- Joint pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Muscle or ligament strain/tear
- Evaluation for infiltrations (corticosteroids, viscosupplementation)
You can consult a sports doctor whether you are a professional athlete, an occasional athlete or a sedentary person. His expertise not only allows him to know the specificities related to the practice of different sports, but also encompasses the promotion of health and well-being for all people.
YOU
KNOW? To be a sports physician in Canada, you must be a member of the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM) and have passed the examination for the diploma in sports medicine.
What are the treatments used in sports medicine?
After evaluating your condition, the sports physician may prescribe medication, treatment by another health professional (physiotherapist, occupational therapist, massage therapist, osteopath, etc.) or proceed with cortisone infiltration or viscosupplementation, if indicated.
How does a consultation with the doctor take place?
The sports doctor will first ask you about the history of the problem and will do a targeted physical examination to assess your condition.
Depending on the diagnosis, the doctor will determine if additional investigations are necessary (X-ray, MRI, etc.) and will recommend a treatment plan. For a musculoskeletal injury, the sports physician often works closely with physiotherapists and occupational therapists..
If necessary, the sports doctor can also refer you to a medical specialist such as an orthopaedist, a physiatrist, a neurosurgeon, etc.
Consultation fees are covered by the Régie de l’assurance-maladie du Québec, upon presentation of your RAMQ card.
