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Home » Consumer Information » Sports Injuries

Sports Medicine

Sports medicine is the branch of medicine that centers on the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries in athletes that result from training and competing in sports. A wide range of specialists, from a coach to a surgeon, make up the sports medicine team that treats an athlete in the event of injury.

Athletic trainers and coaches are usually the first to respond to an injury and are trained to handle injuries of all severities. However, trainers normally treat minor injuries in a way that allows the athlete to return to competition quickly, such as sterilizing and bandaging a cut. They are responsible for treating athletes on a regular basis and play a major role in monitoring an injury and an athlete's recovery progress.

For slightly more severe injuries, athletic trainers employ the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) method to relieve pain, reduce swelling and speed healing. Other common steps that a trainer will take to care for an injury are mobilizing the injured body part and prescribing pain medication, which in most cases include anti-inflammatories.

For major injuries, sports trainers care for the athlete until a physician can examine the patient. A surgeon is sometimes needed to repair the more serious injuries, which can sideline an athlete for months at a time. Physical therapists often help athletes in regaining strength and mobility after an injury.

Sports medicine can take place on and off of the court or field, and a large part of sports medicine is properly educating athletes on how to minimize their risk of injury. This can be done by promoting good eating habits and proper nutrition, encouraging the stretching of muscles before and after exercise and teaching athletes how to train properly so as to prevent injury.

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