What is Sports Medicine?

You may have heard of the term "sports medicine," but you may not know exactly what it is.  Sports medicine is the study and practice of medicine as it relates to sports.  Specifically, it's focused on the areas of sports nutrition, sports injury, sports diagnosis and treatment, exercise, sports injury prevention, sports training and sports psychology.

A specialist in sports medicine is someone (not necessarily always a physician) who is trained in the medical and therapeutic aspects of physical activity and sports participation. There are certificate programs, bachelors and masters in sports medicine.

Physicians of sports medicine have specialized training in exercise or sports-related injuries. They focus on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of injuries that occur during physical activity.

Often, a sports medicine physician completes their residency in another specialty, such as orthopedic surgery.

Physical therapists often specialize in sports medicine and orthopedics. Finding a good physical therapist is very important to athletes, because they combine training and rehab principles in order to help an athlete recover from injury.

Similarly, athletes often frequent chiropractors, because spinal adjustments are done without medication or surgery, which athletes often prefer.

Sports science is another closely-related field, and is also sometimes referred to as exercise science.  Sports science is the study of anatomy, psychology and physiology as related to physical activity. Exercise science is a relatively new field of study, and much of it is focused on researching the impact of exercise (or lack of exercise) on the body.

Looking for quality sports medicine care? The SportsCare team at Allegheny Medical consists of specially trained physicians, physical therapists, nurses, dietitians and rehabilitation specialists providing sports performance training and injury treatment management for competitive athletes, weekend athletes, individuals with physically demanding jobs and those who want to become more active. Please call 412-494-4554 for your complimentary, personalized consultation appointment today.