What does a Sports Medicine Doctor do?

Table of Content

• What is sports medicine?

• What Is a Sports Medicine Physician?

• What does a Sports Medicine Doctor do daily?

• 3 Most Common Injuries that a Sports Medicine Doctor can Treat

• 4 Major Significance of a Sports Medicine Doctor

• Difference between a sports medicine physician and an orthopaedic surgeon?

• What does a sports medicine physician do?

• How do you become a sports medicine physician?

• When should I visit a sports medicine physician?

• Take-Home Points

• FAQ on What does a Sports Medicine Doctor do?

Introduction

When people hear about sports medicine doctors, they usually picture a doctor standing on the sideline of every match and waiting for an emergency injury during the game. They think that the only work of a sports medicine doctor is to cure injuries that occur during matches immediately. In reality, a sports medicine doctor cures the injuries caused during the matches. They are also well-trained physicians and surgeons who are efficiently trained to cure athletes who have prolonged injuries caused due to complications

What is sports medicine?

Sports medicine or Sports medicine doctor deals with injury to musculoskeletal injuries which includes injuries to joints, muscles and bones. Sports medicine Doctor can help you get back to your athletic pursuits

Being physically active is an essential step towards a Healthy lifestyle. Sports and physical activities are associated with the risk of injuries. Not to worry, Sports Medicine or Sports Medicine Doctor got you covered. What does a sports medicine Doctor do? 

What Is a Sports Medicine Physician?

• A sports medicine doctor is a specialised sergeant who has been chiefly trained to cure injuries caused in the field after diagnosing them. The injuries that they ought to cure are mainly prolonged injuries caused by an athlete while playing in some competition. Sometimes, a regular orthopaedic surgeon could not diagnose an injury caused by an old competition. Such a diagnosis requires specialised treatment and a specialised doctor who can diagnose it easily by conducting the required tests. The goal of a sports medicine doctor is not only to diagnose the disease of the athlete but also to accelerate the process of the treatment as fast as possible so that the player gets the opportunity to get back to the sport without missing out on much and remain in the game practice.

• The sports medicine doctor should also make sure that while he speeds up the recovery process, he makes sure that the player is being treated well and is also recovering safely. Their job is also to ensure that the sportsperson does not go through unnecessary medicines and try to provide them with the least amount of medicines possible.

What does a Sports Medicine Doctor do daily?

Sports medicine doctors deal with the following conditions daily:

1. Ankle sprains

2. Fractures

3. Knee and shoulder injuries

4. Tendonitis

5. Exercise-induced asthma

6. Heat illness

7. Concussions

8. Eating disorders

9. Cartilage injuries

3 Most Common Injuries that a Sports Medicine Doctor can Treat

• The most common mistake made by people is that they think that sports injuries can occur only in an athlete's body. A sports injury can occur in any normal human's body. It can result from even the slightest injury occurring while putting in a wrong involvement of a body part while performing any physical activity participating in any physical competition or even while playing any sports activity. Children have a higher chance of getting involved in a prolonged sports injury as compared to adults. 

• However, adults too have the chance of getting involved in one. This mostly happens in adults if they do not do the proper amount of warm-up required to higher up the body activity rate before getting involved in the main sports. Sports injuries generally happen in the musculoskeletal system when working out or getting involved in any physical activity or sports. The chances of getting involved in a sports injury become higher if a person suddenly gets into an intense physical activity after a prolonged period of leave from performing any such physical activities. Some of the most common injuries that a sports medicine doctor treats are:

1. A Tear in the Rotator Cuff:

• The rotator cuff injury sometimes occurs due to a tear in the rotator cuff muscle that acts as the primary support system to the shoulder joint. A tear in them affects the entire group of tendons and muscles responsible for supporting the shoulder joint. A rotator cuff tear is most common in baseball players and tennis players because of their repeated motions over the head. It sometimes also affects people who consistently perform wrong motions pulling the shoulder in the wrong direction, causing the tear.

• A rotator cuff tear is generally in two ways: a partial tear or a complete tear. In case of a full tear, the only way of recovering through it is a complete surgery. A rotator cuff tear generally begins with a bizarre pain in the shoulder, causing a night of very disturbed sleep, mainly when laid on the affected shoulder. Sometimes, people suffering from a rotator cuff tear have immensely weak arms, making it difficult for them to perform even the simplest activities like combing their hair or even putting on their shirts.

2. A Rupture in the Achilles Tendon:

A tear or a rupture may occur in the Achilles tendon because of an unnaturally extreme pressure given on the backside of the lower leg due to some physical activity, or sometimes it can be caused even by activities that involve an impact of the foot, like jumping or going the wrong way. People who have a tear or a rupture in the Achilles tendon may all of a sudden start feeling a sharp pain in the heel area of the foot. Some people who have such an injury also hear the sound of the tendon breaking, which is primarily a snap. It makes it very difficult to walk for a person who suffers from a rupture in the Achilles tendon.

3. A Sprain in the Ankle: 

A sprain in the ankle mainly occurs due to an awkward or severe twist in the ankle. It results in the stretching or tearing of the ligaments holding the bones of the ankle together. A sprain in the ankle is an injury caused to the ligaments primarily responsible for connecting and surrounding the bones present in the ankle. An ankle sprain, although it might not be very severe, is very painful. It prevents people suffering from an ankle sprain from walking for a prolonged time. They mostly end up limping while walking till the injury is treated or taken care of.

4 Major Significance of a Sports Medicine Doctor

Sports medication is a set of medications provided to a patient who has been suffering from an injury due to some physically caused illness. Sports medicine doctors have various importance. Some of them are as mentioned below:

1. Specialization: They provide the patients with specialised care. Our orthopaedic doctor specialises in treating bone problems and has complete knowledge regarding the body's bones. But sometimes, they miss out on the important joints and muscular pains that a sports medicine doctor specialises in. A sports medicine doctor trains himself, particularly for injuries caused by performing various physical activities, so they can easily diagnose an injury caused due to such activities. It becomes easier for them to treat the patient with their proper knowledge and several years of knowledge input.

2. Accurate Knowledge: Due to their in-depth knowledge of sports and physical activities, a sports medicine doctor has a profound knowledge of how an athlete's body works. Thus, they provide an enhancement in the process of injury and reinjury of the athlete's body, providing a faster recovery for the athlete or any of their patients. They are sports experts and provide accurate diagnosis details that make it easier for them to detect the injury. Thus the process of their recovery becomes easier to trace.

3. Special Training: A sports medicine doctor plays a significant role in enduring physical pain and thus helps enhance the increasing body strength of the athlete and helps the athlete become better in his field. They provide several training activities that will help the athlete in a way that increases his stamina to perform better in the desired field.

4. Advanced Technology: A sports medicine doctor provides a detailed treatment and provides many options to treat their injuries accordingly. They provide the most leading, cut-edged and new advanced treatments which other orthopaedic doctors do not know. A sports medicine doctor, having specialised in that field, knows all about various sports and thus has an idea of all the advanced technologies and every other treatment method that can be followed for the given injury.

Difference between a sports medicine physician and an orthopaedic surgeon?

Both orthopaedic surgeon and Sports medicine Doctors specialises in the treatment of problems related to the musculoskeletal system. The main difference comes from the fact that orthopaedic surgeons operate surgically on musculoskeletal injuries while sports medicine doctors only do non-operative treatment of sports injuries.

• Training and Treatment Differences: Both orthopaedic and Sports medicine doctor specialises in musculoskeletal injuries, but Operative management is done by orthopaedic surgeons while nonoperative treatment by sports medicine doctors. Orthopaedic surgeons are trained in hospitals and operation theatres while Sports medicine Doctors are trained in sports fields or Training rooms.

• Conditions treated: Sports medicine Doctors are present before and after training sessions of Athletes, apart from treatment of acute sports injuries. They also recommend training plans and nutritional assessment aiming for a holistic Approach. Orthopaedic surgeons will deal with musculoskeletal problems associated with or without sports like arthritis or osteoporosis.

What does a sports medicine physician do?

Sports medicine physicians are an important aspect when it comes to maintaining physical health. What do sports medicine doctors do? Sports medicine Doctors aim to improve recovery, treatment and rehabilitation of sports injuries. Sports Medicine physicians also aim to improve athletic performance. Here are some of the importance of Sports Medicine Doctors: 

1. Injury Prevention: Sports medicine Doctors work at preventing injuries by using techniques like Stretching exercises, Physical therapy, Muscle strengthening and Patient Education.

2. Injury Treatment: sportsmen who have already had an injury sports medicine Doctor help in the treatment of injury. Sports medicine Doctors plan personalised treatment keeping in mind the lifestyle, injury and goals of the individual.

3. Recovery Assistance: They help in effective and Fast recovery from musculoskeletal injuries.

4. Performance optimization: Sports medicine Doctors are not just limited to the treatment of sports injuries but they can also assist in improving strength, flexibility and endurance.

5. Nutritional guidance: They help prepare nutritional plans tailored to patient needs.

6. Mental health support: Sports medicine doctors are not just limited to physical health, they provide counselling, coaching, and other mental health services.

Important to note is that sports medicine Doctors are not just limited to Athletes but it can be for anyone aiming for optimal physical fitness, hobbyists or anyone.

How do you become a sports medicine physician?

Sports medicine has exploded in India after IPL and ISL, apart from athletes, non-athletic sports injuries are also very common like hairline fractures, and sprains while working out. Here is a pathway if you’re planning to become a Sports medicine Doctor in India:

• After completing Class XII board exams with Biology, Physics and Chemistry as compulsory subjects. You also need at least 65% aggregate for admission to medical school.

• You need to clear NEET, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), to pursue a five-year MBBS course. 

• After completion of your MBBS degree, you can appear for PG NEET, AIIMS and JIPMER to do an MD in Sports Medicine.

Top institutes that offer MD courses in Sports Medicine:

• Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi

• Aryabhatta Knowledge University (AKU), Bihar

• Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu

• Guru Nanak Dev University, Punjab

• Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Maharashtra

• All India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health, Kolkata 

• Sri Ramachandra University, Tamil Nadu

Top institutes that offer PG diploma courses in Sports Medicine:

• Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, Patiala

• Hospital for Orthopaedics Sports Medicine Arthritis & Accident Trauma (HOSMAT), Bengaluru

When should I visit a sports medicine physician?

Sports Medicine physicians are mainly for treating sports injuries of athletes, but you can visit sports medicine doctors if you’re planning to start physical activity or participate in light physical activity or if you’re a competitive athlete. You can visit a sports medicine Doctor if you have: 

1. Sports injuries

2. Injury affecting the Musculoskeletal system

3. You want to improve endurance and physical fitness

4. If you want to know safe practices to follow while doing physical activity

5. Rehabilitation of sports injuries

Take-Home Points

1. Sports medicine or Sports medicine doctor deals with injury to musculoskeletal injuries which includes injuries to joints, muscles and bones. 

2. 3 common conditions with which a sports medicine doctor deals are rotator cuff tear, Achilles tendon injury and ankle sprain.

3. Both orthopaedic and Sports medicine doctor specialises in musculoskeletal injuries

4. Operative management is done by the orthopaedic surgeon while nonoperative treatment is done by a sports medicine doctor

5. Orthopaedic surgeons will deal with musculoskeletal problems associated with or without sports like arthritis or osteoporosis.

6. You can become a sports medicine doctor by Doing an MD or diploma in sports medicine after an MBBS.