Southlake Orthopaedics Sports Medicine and Spine Center offers its patients of all ages personalized, compassionate care using the most advanced technology. Their goal is to diagnose your problem and help you achieve pain-free mobility, whether you’re suffering from a fracture, dislocation or sprain, or a degenerative condition like arthritis.
One of the many dedicated physicians at Southlake Orthopaedics is Dr. Michael T. Ellerbusch, who’s triple board-certified, specializing in Sports Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Electrodiagnostic Medicine.
“I genuinely enjoy my job and enjoy caring for patients,” he says. “I especially enjoy the challenge of giving them the proper diagnosis and laying out the proper treatment plan.”
At Southlake Orthopaedics, Dr. Ellerbusch specializes in non-surgical sports medicine, and he’s greatly enhanced his diagnostic skills the last two decades by treating young athletes. Dr. Ellerbusch is the medical director of the Jefferson-Shelby Youth Football League and treats athletes from numerous area high schools, middle schools and recreational and club leagues.
He has served as team doctor for Hoover High School for 20 plus years. “I spend each Friday night during football season on the sideline, and I enjoy treating the athletes on the field,” he says.
However, caring for the players at the games isn’t always easy. “It’s not a controlled environment, and I don’t have immediate access to X-rays and ultrasound and MRIs, so it’s a challenge for my clinical skills and making the correct diagnosis,” he says. “You have to make quick decisions about whether the athlete is safe to return to the game.”
His goals in treating athletes and non-athletes are very similar, though. “When I treat athletes, I try to get them back into their sport safely and do things to prevent future injuries, and the same thing is true for regular patients,” he says. “I want to get them back to their normal life and put them on a regimen that helps prevent the worsening of their issues.”
Dr. Ellerbusch is inspired by his work with both athletes and non-athletes. “Seeing some of the medical challenges they face and how hard they work to overcome these issues, it makes me a better physician and even a better person,” he says. “It makes me appreciate everything I’m able to do as a physician to help them.”
Dr. Ellerbusch takes great pride in being part of Southlake Orthopaedics, which has physicians in numerous sub-specialties, including sports medicine, foot and ankle, hand and wrist, spine, and general orthopedics, allowing the practice to provide subspecialized care to the patients. “This is a unique approach to treating orthopedic patients from both a surgical and non-surgical standpoint that provides excellent care,” Dr. Ellerbusch says.
Even after two decades, Dr. Ellerbusch’s mission remains constant. “I treat all of my patients as if they were my family members, and it’s rewarding to see them get back to their activities and sports that they love following an injury, “ he says.
