Women Sports Medicine
There have never before been so many women involved in professional and recreational sports than there are today. In fact, female athletic participation has increased by over 800% since 1971, according to the US Secretary of Education's Commission on Opportunity in Athletics.
Knowing how to strengthen and properly nourish muscles, bones, ligaments and tendons through rehabilitation centers in Houston in order to endure the rigors of many sports once designed and reserved for men is key for continued sports activity and overall longevity.
A primary role of orthopedics and sports medicine for women is education, in order to prepare both the athlete and the active for the sports and activities they pursue - strengthening muscle groups in order to protect bones and joints, nourishing the body to gain an advantage over deficiencies and conditions to which the female body is predisposed, and recognizing both the limits and underestimated strength and endurance of the human body.
Medical science has made great advances over the years in understanding the significant differences in the way the male and female bodies react to physical activity as a result of the physiological and musculoskeletal differences between the two. This has enabled sports and personal trainers to help women focus on the areas of vulnerability and reduce risks with proper diet and exercise regimens. From treatment to rehabilitation, the female body responds differently than that of the male body. Therefore, they are modified accordingly and entail tests to determine hormone levels, bone density, muscle mass, blood iron levels, joint strength and other factors more likely to impact their outcome than that of a male patient.
Some of the orthopedic injuries and conditions most commonly seen in active women include anterior cruciate ligament tears (ACL) tears - in fact four times more often in women than men, knee pain and cartilage damage, stress fractures and osteoporosis-related injuries.
In many cases, problems can be addressed with specific dietary and training programs, though more serious cases may require surgical intervention to reduce risk of unstable joint environments predisposing patients to osteoarthritic conditions and early onset osteoarthritis. Though, today's medical engineers work in a collaborative effort with orthopedic sports medicine specialists to create internal fixation devices and partial and full joint replacement systems uniquely designed for the contours of the female musculoskeletal system.
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