Managing Pain With Sports Medicine

by Kristy Warren - March 11, 2019

Are you being held back from an activity you love by pain or a nagging injury? A trip to the sports medicine specialist may be just what the doctor ordered!

When you hear “sports medicine,” you understandably think of athletes, but sports medicine is for anyone seeking to become more active or prevent injury during exercise. Falls, accidents, and repetitive motion can play as much of a role in limiting your activity as a traditional sports injury—and when you compensate for an injury in one part of the body, you are often unconsciously stressing another.

Kyle Ungvarsky, MD, a board-certified sports medicine physician with the Laurel Health Centers, sat down with The Homepage Network to share how sports medicine can effectively rehab injuries and manage pain to get you back on the move—often without surgery!

What is a sports medicine specialist?
A sports medicine specialist is a physician who completes additional training to become specialized in this field. Following medical school, Dr. Ungvarksy completed an additional four years of training and fellowships to become a board-certified family medicine and primary care sports medicine physician (12 years of training total). Having both a sports and primary care background allows him to take care of the entire patient and recommend a personalized, whole-body approach to treatment.

Why should I see a sports medicine specialist?
Because a sports medicine professional has advanced training in diagnosing and evaluating activity-related injuries, they can provide expert insight into the best treatment for your unique injury. LHC sports medicine physicians have extensive experience in injury prevention, rehabilitation, and recovery for people of all ages and activity levels.

“When it comes to understanding and treating these injuries, having a love of activity yourself really helps you connect with your patients’ feelings and goals,” explains Dr. Ungvarsky. “Having grown up playing sports myself, I understand and relate to their drive to return to play quickly, making it my personal goal to ensure they can do so safely.”

What problems does a sports medicine specialist treat?
Dr. Ungvarsky works closely with local physical therapists and athletic trainers to evaluate injuries and help patients of all ages safely return to play. A few of the most common issues he treats are:

Arthritis and chronic pain
Concussions and other head injuries
Muscle and tendon injuries (e.g., tendonitis, scar tissue)
Blisters and lacerations
Rashes and infections (e.g., MRSA skin infections, athlete’s foot)
Stress fractures
Fatigue

What type of treatments does the Mansfield Laurel Health Center offer?
Sports medicine physicians like Dr. Ungvarsky focus on non-surgical treatments like physical and aquatic therapy, strength or flexibility training, at-home exercises, and ultrasound-guided injections. The Mansfield clinic features a state-of-the-art, warm-water therapy pool, a full therapy gym, and precision-guided injection treatments using the Sonosite X-Porte Ultrasound—the latest in high-tech, advanced ultrasound care.

Whether you’re a weekend warrior, trying to manage pain, or simply want to become more active, the Laurel Health Centers’ sports medicine team works hard to get you back to the activities you love quickly and safely.

To make an appointment with Dr. Ungvarsky, call 570-662-2002 today!