4 Questions to Ask a Sports Medicine Physician

If you suffer a sports injury, you might need to see a sports medicine doctor. You can never be too cautious when it comes to your health so you might want to check the credentials of the physician you visit. Asking questions to a physician before choosing them to diagnose and treat you will provide assurance that you’ve chosen the right person. Here are some questions that you should ask a sports medicine physician in Joplin, Missouri before being treated.

What Degrees and Certifications Do You Hold?

When you visit a physician to treat your sports injury, you want to ensure that they have the proper knowledge to diagnose and treat you. Most physicians will have their degrees hanging up on a wall in their office but this might not be where you meet them. It’s a good idea to ask about their degrees and certifications before you allow them to treat you. This will provide assurance that they are qualified and have the appropriate knowledge to handle your injury.

What Special Training Do You Have in Sports Medicine?

There are various different types of medicine so you want to make sure that your physician is specially trained in what they’re treating. After graduating from college, the physician you choose should have trained under an experienced sports medicine doctor. You can check online to see what training is appropriate for this type of physician. Then you can ask what training your physician has completed to make sure that they’re qualified.

What Experience Do You Have Treating Athletes?

When you visit a doctor, you don’t want to be the first patient that they’ve worked on. Ideally, you want that doctor to have experience treating the type of injury you have. This will provide assurance that they know what they’re doing. It will also result in greater success since they’ll have seen your condition before. When visiting with the physician, it’s a good idea to ask about their experience treating athletes. If that’s who they’ve primarily worked with in the past, you’ll know you’re in good hands.

What is Your Treatment Specialty?

A sports medicine physician is a specialist for sports injuries. Oftentimes, you’ll first visit a general doctor and be recommended for this type of specialist. If you’re unsure if this is the right person for you, ask about their treatment specialty. If the answer is what you’re dealing with, this is a doctor that you can trust will provide excellent care.

When you suffer a sports injury, you might need to visit a sports medicine doctor. These four questions will allow you to determine if the doctor you’re speaking with is a quality sports medicine physician in Joplin Missouri.