What conditions does a sports medicine specialist treat?

Sports medicine specialists diagnose and treat injuries and conditions directly related to or sustained during physical activity and exercise. They also may work with sports teams or groups as a physician, closely working with athletes to manage and monitor their health. In addition, they are trained to treat and address pathologies or issues connected with nutrition, substance abuse, and sports psychology. As opposed to orthopaedic surgeons, sports medicine specialists focus on non-surgical or operative treatments for conditions.

Common conditions treated by sports medicine specialists include:

Soft tissue injuries (e.g. sprains and tears)
Tendinopathies
Musculoskeletal conditions
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Obesity
Exercise-induced asthma
Female athlete triad
Stress fractures

What subspecialties are included under sports medicine?

Sports and exercise medicine do not have set subspecialties, however, a sports medicine specialist might choose to focus specifically on a selection of the following:

Musculoskeletal medicine
Exercise prescription
Sports and exercise rehabilitation
Workplace wellness
Team care

When should you see a sports medicine specialist?

You might see a sports and exercise medicine specialist if you had a sports injury, or had a condition in which exercise could be prescribed as a treatment measure. If you were an athlete, or played sport at a professional level, it is likely that your team would have a consultant sports medicine specialist on hand.

Médicos del Deporte especialistas en Cirugía de Hombro