Sports Medicine

What is Sports Medicine?

Sports medicine is a branch of healthcare that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries related to sports and physical activity. It involves a multidisciplinary approach, including physicians, physiotherapists, athletic trainers, and other healthcare professionals. The aim is to help athletes and active individuals recover from injuries and improve performance.

Who are Sports Medicine Physicians?

Sports medicine physicians are medical doctors who have gone further training in a variety of different specialties to gain a broad appreciation of the variety of presentations in sports medicine. They are not surgically trained doctors but often specialise in minimally invasive procedures to enhance recovery and complement rehabilitation.

What Does Sports Medicine Cover?

Sports medicine covers areas such as:

• Injury prevention: By developing training programs and techniques to reduce the risk of injuries as well as pre-participation screening
• Rehabilitation: Treating and managing injuries like sprains, fractures, and concussions
• Performance enhancement: Through advice on nutrition, exercise, and biomechanics to optimize athletic performance
• Chronic condition management: By helping athletes with conditions like arthritis or other medical conditions that impact on safety
• Team and event medicine: Ensuring athletes and active individuals can safely participate in their chosen activity
• Minimally invasive procedures: Bridging the gap between rehabilitation and more surgical treatments, sports physicians provide a variety of non-surgical treatment options

Professional athletes, weekend warriors, and anyone engaged in physical activity who wants to prevent or recover from injuries can benefit from seeing a sports physician.

What are Common Injuries Seen by Sports Physicians?

Common sports and musculoskeletal injuries seen by Sports Physicians include:

Common sports and musculoskeletal injuries seen by Sports Physicians include:

• Sprains – Ligament injuries (e.g., ankle sprain, ACL tear in the knee)
• Strains – Muscle or tendon injuries (e.g., hamstring strain, pulled groin)
• Fractures – Broken bones (e.g., stress fractures, clavicle fractures)
• Dislocations – Joints coming out of place (e.g., shoulder dislocation, finger dislocation)
• Concussions – Traumatic brain injuries due to impact
• Contusions (Bruises) – Soft tissue injuries from direct blows

Chronic/Overuse Injuries (Gradual, Repetitive Stress Injuries):

• Tendinitis – Inflammation of tendons (e.g., Achilles tendinitis, patellar tendinitis).
• Stress Fractures – Small cracks in bones due to repetitive impact (common in runners).
• Bursitis – Inflammation of fluid-filled sacs in joints (e.g., hip or shoulder bursitis).
• Shin Splints – Pain along the shinbone from running or jumping.
• Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis) – Overuse of the forearm muscles.
• Runner’s Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome) – Knee pain due to misalignment or overuse.
• Chronic back pain – Due to sports or daily activities.

Specific Sport-Related Injuries:

• Football/Soccer: ACL tears, concussions, ankle sprains.
• Basketball: Jumper’s knee, ankle injuries, finger fractures.
• Running: IT band syndrome, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures.
• Tennis/Golf: Tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, wrist injuries.
• Swimming: Shoulder impingement, rotator cuff tendinitis.
• Cycling: Lower back pain, knee pain, wrist injuries.