Coastal Orthopedics' Dr. Ottaviani provides students background on medical field

Dr. Laura Ottaviani from Coastal Orthopedics Sports Medicine and Pain Management (CoastalOrthopedics.com), a comprehensive and full-service orthopedic, sports medicine and pain management practice, recently took time away from her work to provide Nolan Middle School’s pre-med students with an overview of her profession as a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist.

During two presentations to sixth, seventh and eighth graders in Pam Rahn’s classes, Dr. Ottaviani discussed sports injuries and the spine, including how it works and moves, bone names, the dangers of slouching and heavy backpacks.

"Doctor means teacher in Latin,” Dr. Ottaviani told the class with students who are aspiring to be surgeons, pharmacists and anesthesiologists. “When you go to the doctor with an ailment, they teach you about your body and how to make it better."

She also talked about her education and day-to-day activities at Coastal Orthopedics to help prepare the students who are interested in entering the medical field. Before answering questions, Dr. Ottaviani used balloons for a class demonstration to illustrate the difference between static and dynamic stretching.

Coastal Orthopedics’ doctors have been presenting at Nolan Middle School since the start of the 2015 – 16 academic school year.

About Coastal Orthopedics Sports Medicine & Pain Management

Founded in 1973 and based in Bradenton, Fla., Coastal Orthopedics is home to 15 orthopedic surgeons and pain management and rehabilitation physicians who maintain hospital affiliations with Blake Medical Center, Manatee Memorial Hospital and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. In addition to three offices and two ambulatory surgery centers each serving Florida’s West Coast, Coastal Orthopedics’ board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians and surgeons provide patients with the very latest in pain and orthopedic treatment technology. The company strives to repair and heal injuries relating to the entire musculoskeletal system. For more than 40 years, our highly skilled staff of physicians and surgeons has treated patients in specialty care including sports medicine, joint replacement, pain management and rehabilitation. Patients can experience restoration of function both surgically and non-surgically through the use of physician-guided strengthening, therapy, medications, injections and stretching. For more information, please visit CoastalOrthopedics.com or call 941-792-1404.