Introduction to our new medical blog: Field side with PoloMD.

Field side with PoloMD:Comprehensive insights into injury and recovery in the sport of polo from the perspective of a pain medicine physician and polo athlete.

Most people who have the opportunity to pick up a polo mallet become addicted to the game. Who can blame them? Polo is both elegant and gritty, exhilarating and humbling, and likely one of the most unique sports that one will ever encounter. It unites amateurs and professionals, young and old, men and women, and human athletes with equine athletes. The physicality, fast pace, and challenging nature of polo creates an endless supply of dopamine for us to chase.  These same qualities of polo that make the sport “high reward,” unfortunately lend themselves to high risk.  And just as polo unites us on the field, it can also unite us in injury.

The spectrum of injury.

At some point in your polo journey, you will likely experience a significant injury or physical setback that may take you out of the game or hinder peak performance. The spectrum of polo injuries can range from minor aches and pains through catastrophic, life-changing events. Injuries can present gradually or can arise abruptly as the consequence of a traumatic crash or high-velocity fall. Often, there are factors that are out of our control, such as age, gender, experience level, budget, weather, field conditions, etc. The good news is there are numerous external and internal factors we can modify to help prevent injury, enhance performance and recovery, and ultimately maximize our time on the field.

At PoloMD, our mission is to provide you with some of the necessary tools for longevity in the sport.