School is about to start but for many active families, team sports are already well underway. Whether your high schooler plays baseball, football, soccer, basketball, or runs track, there are plenty of extra appointments, requirements, and forms to fill out. Teams galore, from varsity to community rec league, know that training, supervision, and medical care can keep sports injuries from becoming debilitating, life-long issues.
At Longview’s Pacific Surgical Center (PSC), skilled physicians are adept at using cutting-edge, minimally invasive outpatient surgery to treat athletes young and old. And thanks to multiple specialties under one roof and up-front transparency pricing, families always know what to expect from start to finish.
Injuries in childhood—especially if sustained through repeated sports stresses—can return to haunt us as we age. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons reports that “An injury to a high school athlete can be a significant disappointment for the teen, the family, and the coaches. The pressure to play can lead to decisions that may lead to additional injury with long-term effects. High school sports injuries can cause problems that require surgery as an adult, and may lead to arthritis later in life.”
One study followed athletes from 100 high schools nationwide. They learned that there were 4350 injuries during one school year alone. “Interscholastic sports play a key role in the successful development of students, being specifically linked to higher grade point averages, fewer school absences, and better behavior. However, sport participation can lead to injury. Although the rate of high school sport injuries appears to have decreased in the past decade, more than 1.4 million injuries were sustained by high school athletes [during one] school year.”
This is why many teams use annual sports physicals to assess overall health and wellness before athletes can take the field. This is done through the collection of extensive background information and an in-person exam.
As one information portal explains, “A sports physical can help you find out about and deal with health problems that might interfere with your participation in a sport…Your doctor may even have some good training tips and be able to give you some ideas for avoiding injuries. For example, he or she may recommend certain stretching or strengthening activities that help prevent injuries. A doctor also can identify risk factors that are linked to specific sports. Advice like this will make you a better, stronger athlete.”
If issues are identified, athletes won’t necessarily be sidelined. “Don’t worry if your doctor asks you to have other tests or go for a follow-up exam—it could be something as simple as rechecking your blood pressure a week or two after the physical. Your doctor’s referral to a specialist may help your athletic performance.”
AT PSC, doctors work with your family’s regular medical team to get athletes back in the game. Treatment turnaround times are kept low and they strive to keep surgeries “minimally invasive, minimizing pain and discomfort, scarring and recovery time” to minimize follow-up. “Most services are provided within the PSC facility. No need for multiple office visits with different providers before your surgery. Other conveniences include location; easy parking and check-in; greater privacy; large, comfortable recovery rooms; less paperwork; less waiting time or risk of delays in treatment—as compared to hospitals.”
Treating issues quickly and correctly reduces the chance it’ll haunt you later on. At PSC, many sports injuries are seen by orthopedists. “Our team of orthopedic surgeons offers advanced, minimally invasive treatment for most musculoskeletal (bone, muscle, joint, cartilage, ligament, etc.) disorders or injuries. Each doctor is highly trained and experienced, and uses the latest surgical technologies across all orthopedic specialties.”
Physicians are also skilled in addressing injuries in your feet, shoulders, knees, arms, and everywhere in between. From trauma to sports injuries, their physicians and nurses are some of the region’s best. Read more about Dr. AJ Lauder who focuses on the wrist, hand, and elbow, while his colleague Dr. Tony Lin tackles comprehensive orthopedics.
Coach Vince Lombardi once said that “Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” Nothing embodies that to a young person like sports. Being part of a team, striving towards a concrete, achievable goal is truly an admirable life lesson.
Don’t let strains, sprains, and pains keep your kids on the bench. Call Pacific Surgical Center at 360-442-7900 or request a specialist online. Then dust off your spirit gear, pack a tailgate party, and get ready to cheer for the home team.
