Each day, active persons experience injuries that have the potential to be debilitating if not for fast care and expertise on sports-related injuries. For this reason, the specialization of sports medicine exists. Sports medicine focuses on the prevention and treatment of injuries related to activity.
Education
Before specializing in sports medicine, a person must earn a medical degree, either an MD or DO, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Typical specialties before becoming a sports medicine specialist include family practice, internal medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics or physical medicine and rehabilitation, according to the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. Sports medicine practitioners typically undergo an extra one to two years of training in order to specialize in the sports medicine field. They also should be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation --- CPR --- and understand emergency protocols should an injury occur.
Areas of Care
Examples of specialized training topics include treating acute and overuse injuries, caring for athletes with chronic illnesses, recommending diet and supplements to enhance athletic performance and preventing injuries. Sports medicine specialists can care for bone and muscle injuries and disorders, dysfunctions and diseases related to sport, according to the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine.
Team Approach
A sports medicine practitioner might work with a number of athletic-related personnel in treating an athlete, according to the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. This includes athletic trainers, coaches, physical therapists and athletes themselves. The term athlete extends to non-team sports as well --- cyclists, dancers and exercise enthusiasts are just some of the patients a sports medicine physician treats.
Types
Sports medicine physicians can be found in different types of medical settings, according to the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. For example, some sports medicine physicians choose an office-based practice where patients seek preventive care and treatment for injuries. Sports medicine physicians also might work in emergency room situations at a hospital to treat injuries only. Sports medicine physicians also might function as team physicians, providing advice and guidance to a specific sporting team, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Misconceptions
A common misconception in the field of sports medicine is that sports medicine physicians are orthopedic surgeons, according to the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. The chief difference between the two specialties is that sports medicine physicians focus on the non-surgical aspects of athlete care. Orthopedic surgeons focus on the surgical treatment of injuries that can on some occasions be sports-related. An estimated 90 percent of sports injuries do not require surgery; however, a sports medicine physician often can recommend an orthopedic surgeon in the event of serious injury.
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