A native of Chicago, a lifelong Cubs, Bulls and Bears fan, and the owner of Elite Sports Medicine Institute (ESMI), Dr. Ketan Mody's love for his community, passion for sports, and extensive experience in orthopedic care allows him to help each patient return to the activities and sports they love. We were able to reach out to Dr. Mody to learn more about what led him to pursue sports medicine and how ESMI is helping patients and athletes in the community return to their activity.

 

 

Achieve: Tell us how you got involved in the Sports Medicine field? 

 

Dr. Mody: I love sports.  I have been watching and playing sports since I was a 4 year old in T-ball. When I went to medical school, I always thought I would become an orthopedic surgeon sports medicine physician but I valued my time in clinic and connecting with my patients over the Operating rooms.  Once I did a sports medicine rotation and then added two more during my 3rd and 4th year of medical school, I knew I wanted to do Primary Care Sports Medicine, which is non-surgical orthopedics plus having a primary care background. This gave me the ability to work with both athletes and weekend warriors or just plain active people while I still continued long term connections with the families and patients I worked with (hence my Family Practice background before Sports medicine).  

 

 

Achieve: What led to you start Elite Sports Medicine Institute (ESMI)?

 

Dr. Mody: I started ESMI when I was not renewed for contract by a large orthopedic group. I walked away from the meeting feeling dejected and like I had to constantly prove myself to people who thought lesser of me.  I instantly called my wife and told her I wanted to build my own office, treat patients the way I felt they should be treated rather than just blowing through them to get more seen.  I wanted to do things with a personal touch and make patients feel as comfortable as they would at their family practice doctor or pediatrician's office.  So I started working on names and found a space to sublease and start from scratch.

 

Our motto is simple, "come be treated like you are family".  We always give the same treatment plans or consults we would want our family to get.  We take our time and make sure the patients understand what we are asking of them so they buy into the program we set in forth for their recovery.  There are times that they are our patients need surgery to get better and we always hand pick surgeons who we know treat our patients with respect and are willing to answer all questions and not just be quick to sign them up for surgery and hand them off the assistants.  

 

 

 

Achieve: You are one of only a handful of doctors that offer PRP injections and stem cell therapy, can you explain more about what these services are and what common ailments they are used for?  

 

Dr. Mody: Yes, I love the use of PRP and Stem Cell Injections, but they can't be used on anyone for anything.  The numbers in ESMI are over 90 percent success rate but it is because we won't offer these injections to just anyone just to make money on them.  

 

We use them a lot for partial tendon tears and very stubborn tendonitis. In these cases it helps the muscle/tendon heal as long as the tearing isn't too big.  We can also use them for arthritis or labrum tears, but there is a catch.  The first thing that we let patients know is that none of these injections will "FIX" cartilage or labrums.  We can provide pain relief and even longer term pain relief then cortisone injections or the HA (gel arthritis) injections with our PRP or stem cell injections.  They are expensive so at ESMI we never sell them on false promises. We are realistic and give the advice to them that we would give our family members.

 

 

Achieve: Concussion management is a big point of emphasis across all sports. What are some simple considerations any athlete should understand when dealing with a concussion?

 

Dr. Mody: First and foremost, it is a real injury.  In the past, people thought of athletes as weak for missing time for a concussion because no one could see the injury.  It is a very serious injury that can affect an athlete's behavior, emotional status, cause depression, difficulty thinking, cognitive issues, etc.  I have had several concussions, and it isn't easy to function in the world let alone trying to do school work/regular work and play a sport or be active.  It is something we should take seriously and treat properly.  So the consideration is that if you have a hit or a whiplash type injury and have ANY signs of concussion, they should stop and seek care.

 

 

 

Achieve: How does Physical Therapy play a role in a patient’s orthopedic treatment plan?

 

Dr. Mody: We use PT to help with regaining a patient’s ability to go back to their activity.  You need the muscles to balance and function properly, but you also need strength and proper stretching or scar tissue break down for certain issues.  Physical therapists can manually work on patients and help guide them through step wise exercises and stretches as we get back to the activity. Once we diagnose the problem, we use PT in over 80% of or patients during treatment plans.

 

 

Achieve: What is new on the horizon for ESMI or you personally?

 

Dr. Mody: At this point, with COVID19 pandemic, we are trying to get back to having our patients want to come back in our office regularly.  We also are working on upgrading our ultrasound machine.  We are always trying to reach more patients and give them an option to come get care at a place that cares for them.  I am also doing some telemedicine visits for patients who don't want to come into the office right now.  As we move forward, we want to continue to serve our patients and help the community get the care they need.   

 

 For more information on Dr. Mody's practice, please visit his website: www.elitesmi.com