Sports medicine

Sports medicine can refer to the specific medical specialty or subspecialty of Sports Medicines. Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM), which is now well established in many countries. It can broadly also refer to doctors and other paramedical practitioners who work in a more broad setting. The various sports medicine experts often work together as a team to ensure the best recovery plan for the individual. Team members can include orthopedic surgeons, certified athletic trainers, sports physical therapists, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, as well as specialty SEM physicians

Specializing in the treatment of athletes and other physically active individuals, sports and exercise medicine (SEM) physicians have extensive education in musculoskeletal medicine. SEM doctors treat injuries such as muscle, ligament, tendon and bone problems, but may also treat chronic illnesses that can affect physical performance, such as asthma and diabetes. SEM doctors also advise on managing and preventing injuries.

SEM consultants also deliver clinical physical activity interventions, negating the burden of disease directly attributable to physical inactivity and the compelling evidence for the effectiveness of exercise in the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of disease.

European templates for SEM specialisation generally recommend 4 years of specialist training in all of:

• internal medicine with special emphasis on cardiology, emergency medicine and clinical nutrition
• orthopaedics and traumatology
• physical and rehabilitation medicine
• fellowship at a recognised sports medicine centre.

Sports (and Exercise) Medicine (SEM) is now a recognized medical specialty in over 30 countries worldwide, and a recognized subspecialty in many others.

The Italian version of this page Medicina dello sport states that Sports Medicine societies were first established in Switzerland (1922) followed by: Germany (1924), France (1929) and Italy (1929) (Italian Sports Medicine Federation). Sports medicine was established as a specialty in Italy, the first country to do so, in 1958. The European Union of Medical Specialists has defined necessary training requirements for the establishment of the specialty of Sports Medicine in a given European country.[1] It is a goal of the European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations to eventually establish Sports Medicine as a specialty in all European countries.[2]

In Australia and New Zealand, Sport and Exercise Medicine is a stand-alone medical specialty, with the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians being one of Australia's 15 recognized medical specialty Colleges.[3]

An anomaly with respect to (medical) specialty recognition of SEM is that it has not yet occurred in some of the countries with very strong pedigrees in academic publication in the Sports Medicine field, including Sweden, Norway and South Africa. Sports medicine is only a subspecialty field rather than stand-alone specialty in the USA and Canada. All of these countries have very strong research publication records in the SEM field.

SEM physicians are frequently involved in promoting the therapeutic benefits of physical activity, exercise and sport for the individuals and communities. SEM Physicians in the UK spend a period of their training in public health, and advise public health physicians on matters relating to physical activity promotion.

Common sports injuries that can result in seeing a sports medicine specialist are knee and shoulder injuries, fractures, ankle sprains, concussions, cartilage injuries, and more. A sports medicine specialist can also be seen for advice in other areas of health, like nutrition, exercise, supplements, and how to prevent injuries before they occur. A sports medicine specialist works to help make the performance of the athlete more advanced, as well as ensuring their safety while performing the activity.[21]

• Lois Reynolds; Tilli Tansey, eds. (2009). The Development of Sports Medicine in Twentieth-century Britain. Wellcome Witnesses to Contemporary Medicine. History of Modern Biomedicine Research Group. ISBN 978-0-85484-121-9. Wikidata Q29581766.