These Sunday calls are getting difficult to handle. Listening calmly while your son who is a freshman in college five hours from home explains about the continued pain in his ankle is a challenge. Attending school on a partial academic and partial athletic scholarship at a Division II school seemed like a great idea. It still maybe a great idea, but the work of being an athlete attempting to avoid fatigue and injury is stressful. Because the season is so long and the team plays so many games, the coaches are quick to put in rotations of rehab and trainer visits at the first sign of a problem.
Staying healthy and uninjured is a goal of any athlete, especially one who has reached the level of college sports. Coaches really do look for ways to get four years out of their players, and do not hesitate to rest an athlete, especially when it is early in the season.
This Sunday’s call was difficult to handle because you could tell that your son fears he may need to see someone about his ankle. Although he knows that the coach and the therapist have names of orthopedic specialists, your son has the most confidence in his doctor back home. He wants help finding a medical specialist who is used to working with college athletes. Actually, he kind of wants to get a second opinion from what the team trainers are telling him.
In the year of 2010, hospitals across the country reported performing over 51.4 million procedures. In addition, there were 129.8 million visits to U.S. emergency rooms that year. While emergency room visits often leave little time for decision making, other medical events like a recurring ankle problem often allow time for careful consideration of who to contact for medical care.
Finding a hospital and finding a physician can become even more complicated if you are far from home. Finding a medical specialist who provides specific care like orthopedic ankle examination can be even more complex. In addition to relying on local recommendations, it may also be good to ask for recommendations from a doctor back home.
Whether you are in your hometown and looking for outpatient services or preventative medicine, or you are hours from home searching for relieve from an injured ankle or looking for advice about being one of the 40% of heavy snorers in this country, finding a medical specialist who is the most qualified will often determine the care that you get. Make sure that you check local recommendations, as well as suggestions from your current doctors about who you should see to receive the care you need.