Sport Medicine
Overview
Sports medicine, also known as sports and exercise medicine (SEM), is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. The goal of sports medicine is to help people engage in exercise safely and effectively in order to achieve their training goals.
Sports medicine specialists treat a wide range of physical conditions, including acute traumas such as fractures, sprains, strains, and dislocations. They also treat chronic overuse injuries, including tendonitis, degenerative diseases, and overtraining syndrome.
Sports medicine combines general medical education with the specific principles of sports science, exercise physiology, orthopedics, biomechanics, sports nutrition, and sports psychology. A sports medicine team may involve medical and non-medical specialists, including physicians, surgeons, athletic trainers, sports psychologists, physical therapists, nutritionists, coaches, and personal trainers.
Should You See a Doctor?
There are no set rules. But in general, see the doctor if:
- Your injury causes severe pain, swelling, or numbness
- You can’t tolerate any weight on the area
- An old injury hurts again and is swollen
- A longtime sore joint is weak
Wrap or Brace?
An elastic bandage puts pressure on the hurt area, which holds down swelling. That might help you feel better, says Matt Gammons, MD, first vice president for the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.
Braces are mostly used for long-term problems like knee arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome. But if you sprain an ankle, your doctor will put you in one. A brace that lets the joint move a little can help you heal faster.
Don’t use an elastic bandage or a neoprene brace to steady a shaky joint. “If you're wrapping because your knee feels unstable, that’s not good,” Gammons says. You need a doctor to look at it.
When Can You Get Back Out There?
Rest the area for at least 48 hours. You should be good to go if the soreness disappears and there’s no injury or swelling you can see.
If you don’t give it some time off, that sore muscle or achy joint could turn into what doctors call an overuse injury.
We know these by clever names like tennis elbow, shin splints, and swimmer’s shoulder. You’ll need to see a doctor to get diagnosed and treated if you have problems with the same area time after time.