Douglas McKeag, MD, MS, director of the Indiana University Center for Sports Medicine, shares three predictions on how the practice of sports medicine will change over the next few years.
1. Traditional sports medicine practice will expand. Dr. McKeag says the demand for sports medicine physicians has already begun to increase and will continue to do so going forward. More specifically, traditional sports medicine physicians will find there is demand to do more than just musculoskeletal work, he says.
"Sports medicine physicians will be asked questions by patients and athletes that are more expanded than they ever have been and will go beyond the musculoskeletal issues," he says. "The current buzz on concussions is indicative of that. It'll become more difficult for orthopedic surgeons especially to know where they will fit, if they want to take care of patients' and athletes' injuries or turn them to other sport medicine physicians."
2. Physical therapy and rehabilitative medicine is becoming more sophisticated. These service lines have advanced tremendously over the years, and so many patients with sports-related injuries are no longer considering surgery as a first option, Dr. McKeag says. Various sports-related injuries, including Achilles tendon tears and ligament tears, traditionally treated with surgery now can be treated with physical therapy or rehab, depending on the level of activity the patient contemplating in the future.
"The caveat is how much activity individual patients and athletes will anticipate following their injury, so if you have an elite athlete who uses their legs frequently, he or she could elect for surgery. But many recreational athletes wouldn't need surgery because rehab may be effective enough," he says.
3. Sports medicine orthopedic surgeons will need specialization. Dr. McKeag says as time goes on, more sports medicine physician will need to focus their practices and cater their services to a particular set of patients who may incur more specific injuries. As it stands, most athletes are now being seen and cared for by specialists, such as knee surgeons or ankle surgeons, he says.
"At IU Center of Sports Medicine, I'm referring many athletes to a specific joint specialist. My patients with shoulder problems go to one specialist, and my patients with knee problems go to an entirely different specialist," he says.
Learn more about Indiana University Center for Sports Medicine.
1. Traditional sports medicine practice will expand. Dr. McKeag says the demand for sports medicine physicians has already begun to increase and will continue to do so going forward. More specifically, traditional sports medicine physicians will find there is demand to do more than just musculoskeletal work, he says.
"Sports medicine physicians will be asked questions by patients and athletes that are more expanded than they ever have been and will go beyond the musculoskeletal issues," he says. "The current buzz on concussions is indicative of that. It'll become more difficult for orthopedic surgeons especially to know where they will fit, if they want to take care of patients' and athletes' injuries or turn them to other sport medicine physicians."
2. Physical therapy and rehabilitative medicine is becoming more sophisticated. These service lines have advanced tremendously over the years, and so many patients with sports-related injuries are no longer considering surgery as a first option, Dr. McKeag says. Various sports-related injuries, including Achilles tendon tears and ligament tears, traditionally treated with surgery now can be treated with physical therapy or rehab, depending on the level of activity the patient contemplating in the future.
"The caveat is how much activity individual patients and athletes will anticipate following their injury, so if you have an elite athlete who uses their legs frequently, he or she could elect for surgery. But many recreational athletes wouldn't need surgery because rehab may be effective enough," he says.
3. Sports medicine orthopedic surgeons will need specialization. Dr. McKeag says as time goes on, more sports medicine physician will need to focus their practices and cater their services to a particular set of patients who may incur more specific injuries. As it stands, most athletes are now being seen and cared for by specialists, such as knee surgeons or ankle surgeons, he says.
"At IU Center of Sports Medicine, I'm referring many athletes to a specific joint specialist. My patients with shoulder problems go to one specialist, and my patients with knee problems go to an entirely different specialist," he says.
Learn more about Indiana University Center for Sports Medicine.