Mikhail A Klimstra, MD

Dr. Mikhail Klimstra’s Approach to Care

Mikhail Klimstra, MD, is a sports medicine surgeon who focuses on helping active people with knee, hip, or shoulder problems optimize their strength, function, and quality of life.

Dr. Mikhail Klimstra’s background

Dr. Klimstra earned his medical degree from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine, where he also completed his residency training, followed by a fellowship in sports medicine at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. While there, Dr. Klimstra and his colleagues had the opportunity to support athletes at the college and high school levels.

During medical school, Dr. Klimstra was drawn to the surgical specialties and found the best fit in orthopedics. “Orthopedics represented the type of medicine I wanted to practice: The patient has a problem, and as a physician I identify the problem and offer a potential fix,” he said. “The turnaround time between when the patient comes in with a problem and when the patient feels improvement is pretty quick, and that’s gratifying. That resonated with me, and it was what I wanted to do in medicine.”

Dr. Klimstra chose to specialize in sports medicine because he likes treating active patients. “Whether it’s gardening, running, tennis, or soccer, everyone has something they like to do. If they can do that activity without pain, they’re happier, healthier, and their quality of life is improved,” Dr. Klimstra said.

Dr. Mikhail Klimstra’s practice philosophy

Ultimately, patient care is a partnership for Dr. Klimstra. “The core of my practice is sitting down and talking with patients about their individual concern or problem, offering my insight and guidance about that problem, then working together to find the best option or treatment strategy for them,” Dr. Klimstra said. “It’s important to note that the best strategy may not be surgery.” It’s all about what will work best for the patient, the patient’s lifestyle, and the patient’s condition or injury.

Dr. Klimstra serves as a guide for the full range of treatment strategies available for a given situation. Part of that guidance is taking time to counsel patients and have open discussions with them. “I like to have the opportunity to have a discussion, educating patients so they know what is going on with their bodies and what options they have,” Dr. Klimstra said. “My hope is that the patient and I arrive together at the best choice.”