What is Sports Medicine?
Sports medicine is a field of medicine that focuses on optimizing physical fitness as well as the prevention and management of exercise and non-exercise related injuries and conditions. This includes medical problems relating to the joint, muscle, bone, and non-musculoskeletal conditions such as concussion, malnutrition, high-altitude sickness, and many more.
What is a sports medicine doctor?
Sports medicine doctors are physicians or surgeons that have received subspecialty fellowship training in sports medicine. There are two types of sports medicine fellowships; one specifically for orthopedic surgeons, and the other for non-operative physicians, also known as primary care sports medicine. Physicians subspecializing in primary care sports medicine come from many different fields in medicine such as family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Both types of sports medicine doctors are experts in musculoskeletal medicine, with one having an operative skillset and the other with additional expertise in non-musculoskeletal conditions. Sports medicine doctors often serve as team doctors in the community from a high school level to collegiate and professional level.
Who should see a sports medicine doctor?
Whether you are an athlete, a weekend warrior, or someone who wants to exercise, sports medicine doctors are the perfect healthcare providers to visit. Sports medicine doctors are a great choice as well for non-sport or non-exercise related conditions such as degenerative joint disorders and arthritis. Many sports medicine doctors are also experts in work-related injuries.
ABOUT
DR KEVIN LYU
Kevin W. Lyu MD is a fellowship trained sports medicine physician and board certified in family medicine. He specializes in various musculoskeletal conditions including the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, back, hip, knee, ankle, and foot. He utilizes non-operative techniques that speed recovery and reduce complications to provide specialized expert care to patients in his practice. Dr. Lyu also manages non-musculoskeletal conditions for athletes as well, such as concussions.
Having spent his childhood in New York, San Francisco, and later in Taiwan, Dr. Lyu is bilingual and bicultural in both English and Mandarin Chinese. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences with honors from the University of Southern California, and in the same time finished a progressive master’s degree in Marine and Environmental Biology. He then received his medical doctorate from St. Georges University School of Medicine, and went on to complete his residency in family medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital. He then completed a fellowship in primary care sports medicine at Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital. His experience encompasses non-operative treatments on all body parts. In addition, he worked as the assistant team physician for Rice University and Prairie View A&M University.
Dr. Lyu joined Texas Orthopedic Hospital (part of HCA Healthcare) and Fondren Orthopedic Group in 2020. He is a member of the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine and American Academy of Family Physicians.
Credentials and Education
St. Georges University School of Medicine
Medical Degree – 2015
Houston Methodist Hospital
Residency – 2019
Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital
Fellowship – 2020
TREATMENTS:
Joint injections – steroid injection, gel (hyaluronic acid) injection, platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection
Casting and splinting
Physical therapy and brace prescription
Medication management
Physical activity prescription and counseling
CONDITIONS TREATED:
Arthritis, osteoarthritis
Concussion
Neck strain, neck spasm, neck pain
Shoulder separation (AC sprain)
Shoulder pain, shoulder bursitis
Shoulder impingement
Rotator cuff tendonitis
Biceps tendonitis
Elbow sprain, elbow pain
Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis)
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
Wrist pain, hand pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis
Trigger finger, trigger thumb
Mallet finger
Back pain, back spasm
Pelvic pain, buttock pain
Hip pain, trochanteric bursitis
Knee pain, knee sprain, meniscus injury
Runner’s knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome)
Jumper’s knee (patellar tendonitis)
Shin splints
Ankle sprain, ankle pain
Heel pain, foot pain, Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis
Toe sprain, toe pain
Gout
Non-operative fracture
INSURANCE
More to be added soon
Medicare
Aetna
Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Galaxy Health Network
Health Smart/Interplan
Imagine Health-Smart Care
Independent Medical Systems
Majoris
Cigna