Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. Sports medicine is not just for professional athletes.
Sports medicine healthcare providers have special training to restore function to injured patients so they can get moving again as soon as possible. They are experts in preventing illness and injury in active people. Sports medicine healthcare providers do work with professional athletes. But they also treat children and teens involved in sports and adults who exercise for personal fitness. Plus, they treat people who have physically demanding jobs
Reasons to see a sports medicine specialist
Your child may see a sports medicine healthcare provider for an injury such as:
- Ankle sprain
- Fracture
- Knee and shoulder injury
- Tendonitis
- Exercise-induced asthma
- Heat illness
- Concussion
- Eating disorder
- Cartilage injury