Dr. Richard Spelts Quoted in Becker's Spine Review
Dr. Richard Spelts, nonsurgical sports medicine doctor at SCOI, along with 4 other physicians recently discussed the most contentious trend in sports medicine with Becker's Spine Review.
When asked "What is the most contentious trend in sports medicine today?," Dr. Spelts replied with the following:
Richard Spelts, DO. Southern California Orthopedic Institute (Los Angeles): For years, we have always been taught that inflammation is bad, and we should take antiinflammatories and ice our injuries to help them heal. However, for most soft tissue injuries in modern sports medicine, we are finding that it is the inflammation that helps us heal more quickly. We are doing more things in sports medicine to increase inflammation in order for the athletes to heal faster: platelet rich plasma, ASTYM physical therapy, eccentric exercises, etc. Currently, we are trying to find a new mnemonic instead of RICE for patients to follow after their injuries.
