Sports Medicine at Sawtooth Orthopedics
Sports medicine, also known as sport and exercise medicine (SEM), focuses on the prevention of injuries.
Dr Tony completed his sports medicine and shoulder fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh under the direction of Dr. Freddie Fu and Dr. Christopher Harner. He then honed his skills as the assistant team physician for the Pittsburgh Panthers football team and the Pittsburgh Penguins professional hockey team. As lead physician here at Sawtooth Orthopedics, doctor Buoncristiani is dedicated to the prevention of injuries often caused by improper training or technique during sports and exercise.
Our office focuses primarily on preventative measures such as activity paired conditioning and specific injury prevention, as well as treatments such as osteopathic manipulation, rehabilitation, or injections. Our clinic treats both athletes and non-athletes with a number of conditions, one of which is back pain due to strain and injury placed on the back from various sports including bicycling, weight lifting, running, skiing and golf.
COMMON SPORTS INJURIES
- Concussion – caused by severe head injury where the brain moves violently within the skull so that brain cells all fire at once, much like a seizure
- Muscle cramps – a sudden tight, intense pain caused by a muscle locked in spasm. Muscle cramps are also recognized as an involuntary and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax
- ACL sprains – The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a ligament involved in knee stabilization. An ACL rupture can occur when the foot is planted and the knee twists to change direction.
- ACL tears – The anterior cruciate ligament; one of four major knee ligament necessary for comfortable knee movement, tears, causing major pain and causes the knee to “give out”. The knee ACL can tear for a number of reasons.
- Ankle sprain – The ligaments that hold the ankle bones in place can easily be overstretched.
- Shin splints – The tissue that attaches the muscles of your lower leg to the shin bone may be pulling away from the bone, or it may be inflamed from overuse.
- Muscle strains – tears in muscle that cause pain and or loss of function.