What is Sports Medicine
12 Minutes
In most countries wherein sports medicine is acknowledged and practiced, it is a physician (non-surgical) specialty; yet, in some (like the USA), it can also be a surgical or non-surgical branch of medicine and a specialized area under primary care. In other instances, the term “sports medicine” refers to a broad discipline that includes both medical doctors and allied health professionals that work in the sports industry, including physiotherapists, podiatrists, athletic trainers, and exercise physiologists.
Although the majority of sports organizations have long had team physicians on staff, sports medicine has only recently become recognized as a separate area of medicine. Sports medicine, often known as sport and exercise medicine, is a recognized medical specialty in several countries (with similar standards and training as other medical faculties).
Numerous up-to-date resources publish top latest content related to sports medicine. One example of such a resource is a monthly peer-reviewed publication that covers research in exercise and sports science called Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine started it in 1969, and Lippincott Williams & Wilkins publishes it on its behalf.
Continue reading to learn more about sports medicine, its applications, and sports medicine doctors.
Sports medicine is a subspecialty of medicine that addresses physical fitness as well as the diagnosis, mitigation, and prevention of sports- and exercise-related injuries. Sports medicine is a term that can refer to a particular medical specialty or subspecialty within a number of medical and scientific fields in sports. Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM), which is now well-established in many nations, is another name for sports medicine. It may also broadly apply to doctors, researchers, teachers, and other paramedical professionals who work in a variety of settings. There are several different types of professionals in sports medicine in the UK.
The prevention of further injuries and improving the function of the injured area to enable a return to normal activity are the key objectives shared by all sports medicine practitioners. They work with individuals of all backgrounds, not just athletes. To provide the optimum recovery strategy for the individual, the various sports medicine specialists in the UK frequently collaborate as a team. Orthopedic surgeons, licensed athletic trainers, physical medicine and sports rehabilitation experts, sports physical therapists, and specialized SEM doctors can all be team members.
SEM doctors have had considerable training in musculoskeletal medicine and specialize in treating athletes and other healthy and active people. SEM doctors handle injuries including muscle, tendon, ligament, and bone disorders, but they may also treat long-term conditions like asthma and diabetes that can impair physical performance. SEM physicians also offer guidance on treating and avoiding injuries.
Four years of experience is often required by European templates for SEM specialization in:
- Internal medicine with a focus on emergency care, clinical nutrition, and cardiology
- Traumatology and orthopedics
- Physical medicine and rehabilitation.
- Fellowship in an established sports medicine facility.
You run the danger of getting hurt because of the very essence of athletic pursuits, including rigorous training and the pressure of competition. Fitness enthusiasts and professional athletes frequently push their bodies beyond what the average person can comprehend. There are ultra-marathon runners that can complete 100 miles through difficult terrain with an absurd amount of ascent in under 16 hours. Other athletes who endure rigorous training schedules on a daily basis with little time for rest and recovery include weightlifters, gymnasts, and cyclists. For some of us, active healing resembles a strenuous workout!
Rehab services and sports medicine in the UK can make a difference because of how taxing the intensive training can be on the body and how likely injuries are to occur.
Strains, sprains, broken bones, ruptured tendons, and ligaments are frequent sports- and exercise-related injuries. Due to misuse, excessive exercise, and just plain unfavorable circumstances, they look acute and persistent. Sports medicine is advantageous since it may treat a variety of health issues while putting a particular emphasis on fitness that other modalities might not use.
You need a sports medicine expert if you want to avoid musculoskeletal issues and get back to playing as soon as possible after an injury.
The benefits of sports medicine management offered at various centers for sport and exercise medicine include:
Offering Expert Care
You wouldn’t visit a dermatologist to treat an abnormal heartbeat, would you? A doctor with advanced experience and training in sports is necessary for patients who have a sports-related injury or exercise difficulty.
Because of their in-depth understanding of the special physical requirements of athletes, sports medicine doctors are indispensable. With a goal of getting you back into contention at your pre-injury level or higher, they focus on treating injuries.
Patients who need sports medicine receive comprehensive therapy that incorporates medical and regenerative procedures to regain their ideal strength and mobility. The vast experience of sports doctors in minimally invasive procedures that produce less trauma and facilitate a quicker recovery is beneficial to athletes who require surgery to correct damaged tissues.
They are experts in sports-specific rehabilitation and physical therapy, in addition to medical treatment for injuries. Each person starts a customized program that helps them regain their strength and reprogram the abilities necessary for their sport, and they return to play more quickly.
Avoiding Injuries And Relapses
A sports medicine doctor goes above and beyond the standard medical care required to treat sports injuries. To stop additional injuries and avoid re-injuries, they develop sports rehabilitation programs, physical therapy, and training regimens.
An old injury is always a sign of a possible weakness as you keep playing your sport. Sports medicine doctors have the knowledge to adequately rehab your body and give you the continuous care required to prevent you from reinjuring yourself, whereas many doctors may treat the initial injury.
Physicians who specialize in sports medicine are aware of the strain that your sport puts on your entire musculoskeletal system. They assist you in creating workouts that improve your wellness and safeguard the balance and strength of your muscles.
Innovative And Novel Therapeutic Options
Athletes and fitness fanatics are very aware of their bodies, and when hurt, they will go to any lengths to heal and return to their favorite sport. Stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy are two examples of the cutting-edge treatments that sports medicine may provide. Sports medicine procedures and treatments can speed healing and shorten the recovery time by restoring and revitalizing wounded tissues.
Boosting Your Athletic Skills
By creating a training regimen tailored to your anatomical weaknesses and strengths, sports medicine professionals assist you in achieving and maintaining optimum performance. They assess where you need to develop your physical capabilities based on the requirements of your sport.
To obtain their maximal strength and endurance while avoiding exhaustion, overtraining, injuries, or re-injuries, many athletes must balance their training volume and intensity. Sports medicine is excellent at designing customized regimens to accomplish those objectives.
Some of the experts might recommend modifying your current training plans as well as starting new ones. By combining an understanding of your body and injury history with an emphasis on appropriately honing core skills like speed, flexibility, agility, and power, they improve your performance.
Physicians who specialize in diagnosing and treating illness and injury related to sports and exercise are known as sports medicine physicians. Although many sports medicine doctors only treat athletes, the majority will treat anyone who needs care after suffering a sports injury.
Before beginning a 2-year sports medicine fellowship, physicians who specialize in sports medicine are often initially certified in family medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, orthopedics, or internal medicine, Many will graduate with an American Board of Family Medicine Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in Sports Medicine.
The majority of sports medicine doctors treat musculoskeletal disorders that don’t require surgery. Some orthopedic surgeons have chosen to concentrate their practice on performing surgeries to address sports-related injuries. A sports medicine doctor will be qualified to handle a variety of other related conditions in addition to muscle, bone, and joint injuries.
Sports medicine doctors deal with illnesses and injuries like head injuries, nutrition, chronic and acute illnesses, dietary supplements, prevention of injury, and decisions on an athlete’s “return to play.”
Working Conditions For Sports Medicine Physicians
Where do doctors in sports medicine work? Based on the kind of workplace you desire, there are many options. Hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, medical practices, centers for sport and exercise medicine, private practices, colleges and universities, and professional sports teams are examples of common work environments.
You can configure it however you like. You can spend the majority of your time in the clinic, covering live events, or serving as a team physician. You can even work for a stadium or an arena as the physician for all of their various teams.
Therefore, as a sports medicine doctor, you can discover your ideal work environment whether you like the high-energy setting of a live athletic competition or the more routine schedule of a clinic setting.
Regardless of the kind of facility they operate in, the majority of sports medicine doctors are in charge of:
- Identifying and treating problems of the musculoskeletal system
- Ordering screening and diagnostic procedures or imaging techniques, then interpreting the results
- Conducting physical exams and documenting athletes’ health records
- Inspecting injured players to provide medical advice and assess their competition readiness
- Monitoring the recovery of injured athletes
- Prescribing drugs to treat sports-related injuries
- Collaborating with additional staff members like athletic trainers, coaches, and orthopedic surgeons
- Undertaking treatments, like diagnostic ultrasonography and injections
- Instructing players and coaches on proper diet, hydration, workout techniques, and injury avoidance
The fastest-growing category of allied health professionals is clinical exercise physiologists (CEPs), who play a crucial role in the healthcare industry. CEPs are professionals at prescribing the proper exercise to help people live healthier lives, recover more quickly from a trauma, injury, or surgery or prevent, manage and treat chronic diseases.
A job as a clinical exercise physiologist can be very gratifying and involve working in a variety of settings with a wide range of people.
For people with a wide range of pathological illnesses, CEPs evaluate, prescribe, supervise, and evaluate exercise and lifestyle regimens intended to attain specified health outcomes.
To ensure that the exercise program is both effective and safe in achieving the required fitness goals, CEPs create an exercise routine based on a patient’s current medical status in cooperation with the patient’s primary care physician and other health professionals (like dietitians, physiotherapists, psychologists, medical specialists, and occupational therapists). In order to encourage people in leading healthy and active lifestyles, they also offer enhanced physical activity and health education, motivation, advice, and support.
Not only athletes need sports doctors. A sports injury can happen to everyone who works out or simply plays sports on the weekends. Your primary care physician can be the first physician you visit. You’ll probably be sent to a sports medicine physician if he or she determines that you require expert care.
Here are five reasons for seeking treatment from a sports med doctor.
1. You suffer from a severe sports injury.
These are accidents that take place suddenly when you are exercising or playing a sport. Strains and Sprains are typical ones. Knee and muscle injuries, dislocated joints, fractured bones, and Achilles tendon injuries are more severe ones. That tendon connects your heel bone to the muscle at the rear of your calf and is located behind your ankle.
Among the signs of an acute injury are:
- Acute severe pain
- Inflammation and swelling
- Weakness
- Loss or reduction in range of movement
- A joint or bone that appears misplaced
2. You have a recurring injury from sports.
These are wounds that progressively worsen. They frequently result from overexertion or prolonged training. An injury to your rotator cuff is a typical illustration (a group of tendons or muscles in your shoulder). Other instances include bone breaks (stress fracture) or a swollen tendon (tendinitis).
The following are signs and symptoms of these injuries:
- Pain while playing or working out
- Swelling that worsens once the activity is stopped.
- A discomfort that doesn’t go away when you relax.
3. Orthopedic surgery is required.
If you have a dislocated joint or a broken bone as a result of a sports injury, you might need to visit an orthopedic surgeon.
Surgery may be necessary for treatment to repair:
- Tendon tear
- Ripped Ligament (tissue that links or joins one bone to another or holds a joint in place)
- Injury to the rotator cuff
4. Your sports injury is being treated.
A sports medicine physician can aid in your recovery and return to your regular activities if you have undergone surgery or sustained a sports injury. As quickly as possible, recovery should begin. This avoids muscle wasting and stiffness. A second injury, however, can occur if you return to your sport or exercise too soon. Your sports medicine doctor will create a recovery plan for you and may be able to help you with:
- Medications to lessen pain and swelling
- support or splints to help the region heal.
- Treatments that aim to speed up the healing process, like heat and cold treatments, massage, sound wave stimulation, or electrical stimulation
- Exercises that stretch and flex your affected joint to its fullest extent
- Stretching drills
- Workouts that build muscle
5. You want to avoid getting hurt while playing sports.
A sports medicine physician should be seen in order to prevent a sports injury. If you’re beginning a new sport, form of exercise, or physical activity, think about it. The visit could involve:
- A physical examination to determine your suitability for the specific activity or sport.
- A regimen of exercises and conditioning to get you in shape for the activity.
- Suggestions for secure equipment and training
- Advice on diet and a healthy way of life
- A schedule of stretching, warming up, and cooling down exercises.
FAQs
How Do You Become A Doctor Of Sports Medicine?
Let’s look at the most typical path to working in this field. The method to become a sports medicine doctor can vary based on the particular area of sports medicine you are interested in. Getting a DO or MD from an approved university is the first step following receiving your bachelor’s degree.
Your residency will probably concentrate on pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, physical medicine, rehabilitation, or emergency medicine once you graduate. You have the option of finishing a fellowship in sports medicine after completing your residency.
You must apply for your medical license in your state after completing this training. Board certification, which denotes an even higher level of experience, is also recommended but not necessary. You can start working as a sports medicine doctor once you’ve finished this last phase.
What Are The Common Illnesses Managed By Sports Medicine Doctors?
Sports medicine doctors frequently deal with the following conditions, while certain injuries are more prevalent in some sports than others:
Ankle sprains
Bone fractures
Shoulder and knee injuries
Injury to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments
Asthma triggered by exercise
Heat illnesses
Head traumas such as concussions
Cartilage injuries
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