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Holistic Sports Medicine by Suzanne Alt, D.O.

Most sports medicine refers to care of acute injuries and the quick return of function to the field of play.  Our connective tissue as we age becomes less pliable.   We have more injuries today at a younger age and more devastating career ending injuries due to poor nutrition. 

It's like building a house with half the number of nails required and a dozen less two by fours if you're lucky.   The goal of holistic medicine not specific just to sports is to provide the body what it needs to build healthy tissue from tendons, to muscles, to ligaments.  The right nutritional supplements from amino acids to multi-vitamin and glucosamine are needed to allow the total body to regenerate itself in seven years.  Inflammation must be controlled by diet (specifically eliminating dairy products and large amounts of animal proteins), stopping the tidal wave of NSAID and tylenol use which inhibits normal body humoral cellular healing, and diminishing the flood of pesticide and chemical contamination we find in our environment. 

One modality that is specific to help the body heal in an acute or chronic sports injury is prolotherapy.  Steroids in a joint are degenerative and relief only lasts a short period of time.  Flexibility is a work in progress that we must all strive to continue whether it be an individual plan or with yoga.  Pilates is great for core body (trunk) strength.  Exercise should be done before 10 AM when our serum cortisol is the highest. 

This is when the metabolism is the most affected to change cholesterol levels, fat management and hypertension.  Whether you love sports or not, the ability to function with your body allows us all to enjoy a quality of life we deserve.  It must be a lifestyle change, it's not in a pill at the drug store.  Obtaining healthy tissues that will heal with nutrition, supplements, osteopathic manipulation, physcial therapy, and prolotherapy is the only answer to acute and chronic pain of a sports injury.

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The information contained on this web site is not to be construed as a medical recommendation, or as professional advice. Readers are encouraged to confirm the information contained herein with other reliable sources and to direct any questions concerning personal health care.