Sports Medicine
The Best Sports Medicine Doctor in Orlando
Dr. Ayman Daouk, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained, award-winning sports medicine surgeon. His expertise spans over decades, and he has worked with many renowned sports organizations, including the Cincinnati Bengals, as well as local Orlando sports teams.
At Daouk Orthopaedics, his private practice, Dr. Daouk evaluates and treats all types of sports-related conditions and injuries. He is a highly respected sports medicine specialist in Orlando. The doctor works closely with various athletes, athletic trainers, coaches, physical therapists, and other individuals in the field to provide both minimally invasive surgeries and conservative treatment as appropriate.
If you are suffering from any sports-related condition or injury, it may be the right time to consult Dr. Daouk at his Doctor Philips area office. We assure that you will receive the best and most specialized treatments available to get you back to your previous levels of activity as quickly and safely as possible.
What Makes Dr. Daouk a Sports Medicine Specialist?
Dr. Daouk completed his sports medicine fellowship at Christ Hospital Sports Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio. This extra year of training after orthopedic residency allowed him to gain further experience in sports injuries and treatments. As a sports medicine specialist, he focuses on the functional, medical, and therapeutic aspects of exercise. He works directly with various athletes to help improve their overall activity and sports performance. You do not have to be an athlete or professional player to seek advice from a sports specialist; the doctor also treats anyone for exercise or sports-related injuries.
He treats various physical conditions, including dislocations, strains, sprains, fractures, and other similar traumas. Dr. Daouk also treats chronic overuse injuries such as tendon tears, ligament tears, degenerative diseases, and tendonitis.
What is Sports Medicine?
Sports Medicine is also known as SEM (sports and exercise medicine). In this branch of medicine, practitioners treat and manage the prevention of exercise and sports-related conditions and injuries. In addition, doctors often work with other specialties to help improve performance and fitness. Sports medicine’s primary objective is to help people engage in targeted exercise, training, and sports effectively and safely to accomplish their goals.
Our expert sports medicine team at Daouk Orthopaedics is headed by Dr. Ayman Daouk. He works in combination with physical therapists and athletic trainers to provide patients comprehensive care for their treatment and recovery.
Most physicians in sports medicine only deal with non-operative musculoskeletal conditions, and most overuse injuries do not require surgery. However, if surgery is needed, Dr. Daouk also offers surgical options for the more serious sports injuries.
The Best Surgical Solutions for Athletes
Surgery for athletes and sportspersons is not much different than surgery for non-athletes, except for the fact that the athlete is at a significant disadvantage if they miss unnecessary time from their sport. It is vital for them to maintain their fitness and skill level, and that is why when surgery is needed, it is done as expeditiously as possible. Faster recovery is crucial; the more time an athlete spends away from their sport, the more challenging it becomes to return to their competitive form. Dr. Daouk treats all patients, whether you are a recreational player or weekend warrior, as if they are athletes who need to return to their specific sports activity at the earliest possible time.
The doctor uses advanced minimally invasive surgery, robotic and computer-assisted technology in tissue reconstruction and repair procedures. Intensive, customized rehabilitation modalities follow these specialized surgeries to get the patient back to their regular training and sports activities.
What are Sports Injuries?
Athletes sustain sports injuries while involved in outdoor or indoor sports, including tennis, baseball, hockey, basketball, and football, or even while exercising and training. Sports injuries can also result from inadequate training, sports accidents, insufficient warm-up exercises, or from not using protective devices. Some of the most typical sports injuries involve joints such as the feet, ankles, hips, knees, and shoulders and include:
- ACL (Anterior cruciate ligament) tears
- Fractures
- Meniscal tears
- Concussion
- Knee cartilage injuries
- Patellar Tendonitis
- Shoulder Tendonitis
- Nerve compression injuries
- PCL (Posterior cruciate ligament) injuries
- Shoulder separation
- Shoulder dislocation
- Strains and sprains
- Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
- Tendon tears
Sports Medicine in Orlando- Treatment Procedures
There is a wide range of sports medicine treatment options. In most cases, the treatment includes skilled management of different musculoskeletal conditions such as strains, sprains, bruises, dislocations, torn ligaments or tendons and chronic overuse injuries.
The standard conservative or non-surgical treatment recommended for most sports injuries include:
- RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) Therapy
- Rest– Avoid all activities that might strain or stress the joint
- Ice- Ice packs need to be applied for 15 to 20 minutes (several times a day) to the injured area; this helps reduce pain and swelling. Never place the ice directly on your skin.
- Compression- Applying compression to the injured area reduces swelling. Braces, elastic wraps, or air casts can accomplish this goal.
- Elevation– Elevate the injured area above your heart level; this helps reduce pain and swelling.
- Physical Therapy
- Daouk will design a regular exercise regimen to help decrease inflammation and swelling, strengthen muscles and improve your range of motion.
- Activity Modification
He will advise you to temporarily modify your lifestyle and avoid activities that trigger symptoms.
- Anti-inflammatory Medications
The doctor may prescribe medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen to relieve pain and inflammation.
- Cortisone Injections
If RICE, physical therapy, activity modification, and medications do not yield desired results, he may prescribe cortisone injections. Cortisone is an anti-inflammatory medicine that is highly effective in conditions including bursitis and tendinitis. It is not recommended for injuries that involve structural damage or tears.
- Surgical Treatment
Dr. Daouk will often recommend surgery only if you have sustained a serious injury such as a dislocation, significant soft tissue tear or fracture, which cannot be managed with conservative treatment. Some of the common surgeries that the doctor performs on athletes at his well-established private orthopedic practice in Orlando include:
- Rotator cuff repair
- ACL reconstruction
- Shoulder instability surgery
- Arthroscopy of knees and shoulders
- Fracture repair
- Labral repair
- Tendon repair
- Biceps repair
- Knee instability surgery
Expectations of Athletes Post- Surgery
The best Orlando sports medicine surgery that we offer at Daouk Orthopaedics effectively treats a wide range of bone and joint injuries and conditions in athletes. However, your recovery and ability to get back to your former activity, training, and performance levels in your sport require specialized care plans. The doctor will create a personalized one for you and could include:
- Regenerative medicine solutions such as platelet-rich plasma therapy and stem cell therapy to speed up the healing process of the injured tissue
- Advanced surgical techniques
- Physical therapy/rehabilitation program
- Expert advice on preventing re-injury
- Personalized training recommendations designed to your individual needs, strength, and weaknesses
- Temporary support with brace or cast
How to Prevent Sports Injuries
While our specialist orthopedic surgeon in Orlando can treat all types of minor and complex sports conditions and injuries, he is a firm believer in the saying “prevention is better than cure”. Depending on an individual patient’s condition and the nature and severity of the injury, the doctor may advise measures such as:
- Avoiding excessive exercise and ways to safely increasing your exercise level
- Follow a disciplined exercise program to help strengthen your muscles
- Wear correctly fitted protective gear such as facemasks, eye gear, mouth guards, elbow guards, and pads. It is also essential to wear suitable athletic shoes and comfortable clothes before participating in any sports activity. This helps to reduce the chances of you suffering injuries
- Always follow warm-up/stretching and cool-down exercises before & after all sports activities. These exercises help to increase flexibility and stretch the muscles, thereby reducing the chances of soft tissue injuries
- Avoid activity and exercise when you are tired or injured
- Take regular rest breaks right after playing
- Avoid exercising right after consuming a large meal
- Maintain a well-balanced, healthy diet- it will help to nourish your muscles
- Understand all the rules of the game or sports you are participating in
- Make sure that you are physically fit to participate in sports
- Emphasizing the importance of proper hydration
Schedule Appointment Online or Call: (407) 355-7478
If you are an athlete suffering from a condition or injury to your joints or bones, schedule an appointment today at Daouk Orthopaedics. We assure you of the highest level of Orlando sports medicine treatments at our comfortable, state-of-the-art office.