When most people hear sports medicine, they picture athletic trainers sprinting onto a football field or doctors working the sidelines on game day. Sports medicine has far less to do with jerseys and stadiums and a lot more to do with everyday life.
Vincent Shaw, MD, sports medicine and family medicine physician with FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group, joined Medical Monday with Brian Haldane to break down what sports medicine really looks like and why it matters just as much for weekend projects, desk jobs and nagging aches as it does for elite athletes.
“We all have the same basic makeup as an elite athlete,” Dr. Shaw explains. “It’s just they train at a higher level.”
What Sports Medicine Really Covers
Dr. Shaw describes his work as broader than what many people expect.
“In simplest terms, a lot of people would consider the type of sports medicine myself and my partners practice as non-operative ortho, but it’s more encompassing than that.”
That includes:
- Nutrition
- Segments of rehabilitation
- Exercise prescription
- Lifestyle planning
The goal isn’t just treating injuries. It’s helping people move better and feel stronger without unnecessary surgery.
The Same Injuries Show Up, Athlete or Not
While Dr. Shaw cares for LSU student athletes, the conditions he treats aren’t exclusive to competitive sports.
“It’s a lot of musculoskeletal complaints,” he says. “But we also have a lot of concussions. We also deal with behavioral health as well of our athletes.”
For non-athletes, the issues often show up as lingering aches and pains.
“A lot of times it’s more of those chronic muscular complaints,” Dr. Shaw says. “Those injuries that can kind of be nagging that doesn’t necessarily need surgery, but needs some tender love and care.”
When Is It Time to See a Sports Medicine Physician?
Many people try to push through pain, especially if they don’t consider themselves “athletic.” Dr. Shaw says that’s often when problems linger longer than they should.
“If they’re there for a week to two weeks and they don’t seem to be getting any better, that’s time when you should start referring to a sports medicine physician.”
Pain that interferes with daily activities is another clear signal.
“If it’s interfering with your everyday activities, it’s time to see a sports medicine physician,” Dr. Shaw says.
Elite Care, Everyday Application
One of the biggest misconceptions about sports medicine is that elite-level care doesn’t translate to everyday patients. In reality, Dr. Shaw says the opposite is true.
“Some of the same modalities that we use on our elite athletes are the same we use on everyday or weekend warriors,” he explains.
That includes
- Rehab protocols for knees, backs and shoulders
- Injections when appropriate
- Ultrasound and other assessments
Injury Prevention Starts with Movement
Prevention is a major focus of sports medicine, especially in a world where many people spend most of the day sitting.
“Movement is one of the key things,” Dr. Shaw says. “A lot of us sit at a desk, at a computer, and we’re essentially keyboard athletes at this point.”
Short breaks throughout the day matter more than people realize.
“If you break it up into a couple of five or 10-minute intervals throughout the day, all of that is actually cumulative in terms of movement and the ability to remain healthy.”
Even something as simple as a quick walk around the office can make a difference.
Nutrition Matters More Than You Think
Sports medicine also looks closely at how the body is fueled.
“If you don’t adequately fuel the body with proper nutrition, then it’s very hard for us to try to get you back to that state that you want to be in,” Dr. Shaw says.
He puts it simply: “You can’t out-train a bad diet.”
Whether someone is following a fad diet or using weight-loss medications, guidance matters.
“The question is, are they maintainable and suitable for your lifestyle and what you want to do?”
With medications like GLP-1s, nutrition becomes even more important.
“We’ve got to make sure you’ve got enough proteins and carbohydrates,” Dr. Shaw explains, “so that you can still fuel your body.”
Sports Medicine Is for Real Life
At the end of the day, sports medicine isn’t about how competitive you are. It’s about how you live.
“You may get an ache or a pain in the back,” Dr. Shaw says. “The same ache and pain that you have is what those athletes have.”
Whether you’re lifting boxes, playing pickleball, sitting at a desk all day or starting a new fitness goal, sports medicine offers expert care designed to keep you moving.
