Seattle is a haven for sports-minded folk, making it a great place for a Seattle sports medicine doctor to settle down in. Famous for its mountains and lakes, Seattle offers a wide variety of outdoor activities. Alpinists and trekkers delight in the stunning Cascade Mountains, while skiers and snowboarders love to hit the slopes of Snoqualmie Pass. There’s plenty of water action on Puget Sound, where kayakers and sailors are a regular sight. The Olympic Mountains are a popular destination for more daring.

Team sports are also part of the Seattle way of life, with soccer, baseball, basketball and football contributing to the local entertainment.

Common Sports Injuries in the Seattle Area

As with any sport, injuries are inevitable. Certain types of injuries are more common in some sports than others. Baseball and football both have a high incidence of shoulder injuries as both involve overhand throwing, which places a lot of strain on shoulder joints and tendons. This can lead to overuse injuries such as rotator cuff damage, tendon strain or shoulder bursitis. Baseball pitchers also tend to injure the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in their elbow, while knee injuries are also a common result of sliding bases.

Football-related injuries are frequent, due to players colliding with the ground or other players on the field. This kind of impact increases a player’s risk of shoulder dislocations or separations. Shoulder dislocations occur when the humerus ball is knocked from the scapular socket; shoulder separation results when ligaments are torn from the shoulder blade.

Another contender for sporting injuries is snowboarding and skiing. Like football, injuries usually occur as a result of high-speed impact with the ground or other skiers. Shoulder dislocations or separations are typical, particularly rotator cuff tears or tendonitis.

Rock climbing injuries usually involve the tendons and ligaments, due to the strain placed on the limbs when climbing. Typical rock climbing injuries include subluxation (partial dislocation) of the shoulder, rotator cuff tears and tendonitis.

All of these injuries can be severely debilitating for any athlete or sports enthusiast, particularly if movement is restricted.

Seattle Sports Medicine Doctors Specialize in Sporting Injuries

With so many sporting activities in the locale, Seattle sports medicine doctors specialize in activity-related injuries. Whether injuries occur on the sports field, in the mountains or on the slopes, it’s likely that a Seattle sports medicine doctor has already successfully treated it before. Their expertise lies in diagnosing and rehabilitating everything from muscle strains and sprains to joint problems, tendonitis and other common injuries. They’re particularly familiar with shoulder injuries!

Acute treatment is a priority in Seattle sport medicine. Upon admission, thorough assessment of the injury is conducted using medical imaging such as x-ray or ultrasound scanning. Options for surgical procedures will be discussed and, where required, the practitioner will refer the patient to another specialist for treatment or assessment. This is accompanied by a recovery program that caters for the individual’s specific needs. The practitioner will also assist with pain management.

Seattle sports medicine clinics take pride in restoring the health of their patients, and a variety of rehabilitation options are available in the area. As well as surgery and/or physiotherapy, a range of modalities may be recommended to the athlete or sports enthusiast in order to get them back on their feet.