Dr. Richard L. Baumann, general orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Midwest Orthopedic Specialists (MWOS) and practicing at Hannibal Regional Hospital, has expanded his practice to include sports medicine services at the Quincy, IL office location at 3740 Eastlake Centre Drive.
A sports medicine specialist is a practitioner with education and training focused on the medical and therapeutic aspects of sports participation and physical activity. Most individuals are familiar with Sports Medicine as a specialty that is involved with professional, college and even high school teams in treating sports injuries.
The “Weekend Warrior” – men and women who enjoy recreational sports – often are forgotten in discussions related to sports medicine. Just like their professional counterparts, with these sports come injuries. One of the common injuries in sports is knee injuries, especially to the ligaments (ACL/ MCL). Weekend warriors are inspired to get up off the couch and exercise and unfortunately for some, that's often when the trouble starts. A person’s mind may yearn to emulate the ways of a favorite college or professional athlete, but if more time is spent behind a desk or staring at a computer than training your body may not be up to the challenge.
"It is best to start low and go slow,” stated Dr. Baumann. "That's the best way to approach exercise and not get hurt."
There are hundreds of different sports injuries, but there are certain parts of the body that are more prone to damage to others. In fact, the top three categories that comprise more than 80% of all sports injuries and plague the recreational athlete include the following.
• Runner’s knee or knee pain -
Knee injuries comprise about 55% of all sports injuries and approximately one-fourth of all problems treated by orthopedic surgeons
• Shoulder injury -
About 20% of sports injuries involve the shoulder, including dislocations, sprains and strains. Shoulder injuries are most common in tennis, swimming, weightlifting, baseball and volleyball – basically any sport that involves a lot of overhead movement.
• Ankle sprain -
Ankle sprains are very common among soccer, hockey, basketball and volleyball players. They are almost inevitable in sports that involve jumping, running, and turning quickly; these movements can lead to twisting the ankle and even possibly tearing a tendon or ligament.
“Weekend warrior injuries can be avoided, or made less severe, by increasing your activities slowly and using proper form, technique and equipment,” said Dr. Baumann. “Enlist the help of your physician, athletic trainer or physical therapist for exercises, stretches and treatment of the tendonitis and bursitis that can keep you off the playing field.”
Dr. Baumann, practitioner with Midwest Orthopedic Specialists and at Hannibal Regional Hospital, is certified by The American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. His areas of specialty practice include arthroscopic treatment of knee and shoulder problems, fracture care and total joint replacement. Dr. Baumann graduated from the rigorous six year University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Medicine. He attended his studies on a scholarship from the United States Army, where he served for nine years, including a general surgery internship and training in orthopedic surgery at historic Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas.
For more information about sports medicine services, contact Midwest Orthopedic Specialists at (573) 248-1010 or Hannibal Regional Hospital Orthopedic Services at (573) 629-3328.