Dr. Todd Sweeney, MD, sports and family medicine in Colorado, Arvada, Colorado, lives a lifestyle that gets its practice on the label "healthy patients, healthy doctors." Pedestrian, running, cycling and skiing enthusiast, Dr. Sweeney competed in events such as the Leadville 100 mountain bike race. A native of Colorado, Dr. Sweeney attended medical school at the University of Vermont and completed family medicine services at the Medical Center Maine.
A former baseball player from the University of Pennsylvania, he bought his passion for athletics in the medical field by completing primary training in sports medicine at the University of Colorado. Being certified Certified in both the family and in sports medicine, it gives its practice a traditional attitude to the family doctor with the added advantage of the experience of sports medicine and advanced medical technologies.
The prisoner is a lecturer and writer, Dr. Sweini shares his knowledge at medical conferences across the country. He is a team doctor for several local sports teams and field schools. Dr. Sweeney helps many local athletes with injury and prevention. He is also a clinical instructor at the Center for Health Sciences at the University of Colorado.
Fortunately, we are enough to interrogate Dr. Sweeney in a few minutes to ask him about general sports injuries and their treatment.
Dr. Sweeney, what is the most common sports injury you see in your clinic?
Dr. Sweeney: We see a lot of different sports injuries, mostly based on our learning experiences. My partner and I were initially trained in family medicine, but we both made non-operational scholarships in sports medicine. We see a lot of stretching and stretching, a lot of pain in the knees, lower back pain, injuries to the spinning cuff, and we also see a significant amount of tremors.
Doctor, are there common beliefs associated with these types of injuries that can cause people to do a disservice?
Dr. Sweeney: With concussions, for example, many people believe that you must lose consciousness in order to keep the conversation going. This is not true. Another thing is with children, because of their growth signs, parents do not often understand that this is a concern and something that we need to consider when we make our assessment.
Are there any situations you encounter when your patients unknowingly contribute to their condition?
Dr. Sweeney: If we go back to your first question, which is one of the most common sports injuries that we see, excessive injuries are actually very common. Many times it is a problem when an athlete or individual does something too frequent or too intense, or the duration does not fit. They may unknowingly contribute to excessive injury by doing too often, too intensely, or too long.
For example, some of our endurance athletes find that sometimes they try to push through pain, when in fact they have to limit their activity in order to minimize further damage. Many times with the excessive injuries that they reach at this turning point, when it becomes a problem that will truly cost them.
Is it possible to treat injury and stay active?
Dr. Sweeney: Yes it is. The key is if they can engage in activities that do not delay the recovery process or cause additional harm.
Doctor, is there anything that people should do before applying for a sports injury?
Dr. Sweeney: I think I am researching a doctor. It is important to find a doctor who has received proper training and received a certificate in sports medicine.
I think that the patient should also have a goal in terms of whether they want to know what the diagnosis is, what the prognosis is and what the treatment strategy should be. Therefore, I believe that achieving goals is key, but certainly to find someone who is well trained in their field.
Dr. Sweeney, thank you for giving us some insight into sports injuries and their treatment.
Dr. Sweeney: It was my pleasure
Dr. Tod Sweeney, MD, sports and family medicine in Colorado, Arvada, Colorado, can be contacted at his clinic in Arvada at 720-898-1110. The clinic website is sfmcolorado.com, and the sports shake site is sportccc.com
Kevin Nimmo is a writer and online media strategist. He talks with subject matter experts and educates his readers on the basis of information provided by experts in relevant fields. He is also the executive editor of The Western Medical Journal.
