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Who are sports medicine specialists?

Doctors with special training in preventing, diagnosing, and treating illnesses and injuries caused by physical activities are known as sports medicine specialists. They treat people of all age groups, and their patients include professional athletes, children and teens with sports injuries, adults injured during exercising, and people who have had workplace injuries, such as construction workers. 

Unlike orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine specialists do not perform open surgeries but train in several micro-invasive surgeries. They generally collaborate with other specialists, such as orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, athletic trainers, nutritionists, and dieticians, in managing musculoskeletal injuries and conditions. Sports medicine specialists typically practice in private clinics, hospitals, schools, colleges, rehabilitation centers, and professional sports organizations.

Education and training of sports medicine specialists

Becoming a sports medicine specialist begins with completing an undergraduate degree in basic sciences and enrolling in medical school. After four years of medical school, doctors interested in pursuing sports medicine choose a residency in a particular area. Some standard options for residency training for sports medicine specialists include internal medicine, family medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Once the residency program is complete, physicians pursue one to two years of fellowship in sports medicine. 

After finishing the fellowship, these specialists obtain a medical license in the state they wish to practice. Two organizations in the U.S. — the American Osteopathic Association's Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists and the American Board of Medical Specialties—conduct the certification exam for sports medicine specialists. Once obtained, the specialist must renew the board certification every ten years by sitting for a reexamination.

How do sports medicine doctors and orthopedic surgeons differ?

Both orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine specialists specialize in treating musculoskeletal ailments that affect the muscles, bones, and joints. However, there is a critical distinction between the two: orthopedic surgeons primarily focus on performing surgical procedures to address musculoskeletal issues. In contrast, sports medicine physicians do not perform surgery as part of their practice. However, they can treat about 90% of sports-related injuries without surgery.  

What is the difference between sports medicine and physical therapy?

Many people often confuse sports medicine physicians with physical therapists. Unlike sports medicine doctors, physical therapists do not attend medical school and are not qualified to diagnose injuries. Instead, they implement treatment plans prescribed by physicians, often collaborating with sports medicine specialists.

Despite this distinction, physical therapists play a vital role in an athlete’s recovery. They focus on helping athletes regain functional strength and mobility, supporting their return to peak performance. Physical therapists achieve this through techniques such as stretching exercises, electrostimulation (delivering electrical currents to muscles via the skin, thereby improving muscle strength, promoting tissue healing, and lessening pain), and manual therapy.

When should you see a sports medicine specialist?

Consider consulting a sports medicine doctor if you experience:

• Symptoms during exercise: Experiencing headaches, dizziness, pain, cramping, redness, or swelling during or after physical activity.
• Recurring injuries: Pain or discomfort from previous sports injuries that reoccur with activity.
• Menstrual changes: Irregularities or changes in menstrual cycles.
• Breathing difficulties: Unexpected shortness of breath during exercise.

You should also seek care from a sports medicine doctor in the following situations:

• Comprehensive care: You're an active individual seeking a doctor who can address general health needs and sports-related concerns.
• Injury prevention: You want advice on injury prevention strategies.
• Nutrition and hydration: You want to seek guidance on nutrition and hydration for improved performance and health.
• Child's safety: You are an adult, ensuring safe sports participation and injury prevention for your child.
• Chronic disease management: Managing or preventing chronic conditions and aiming to start or intensify an exercise program.
• Post-injury rehabilitation: You return to exercise or sports after injury or illness.
• Starting exercise safely: You're an older adult or previously inactive individual looking to begin a safe exercise program.

How should you prepare for a visit to a sports medicine specialist?

When preparing for a sports medicine appointment, patients should arrive at least 15 minutes early to complete registration and any necessary paperwork. A parent/legal guardian must accompany minor patients and bring photo identification. It’s also essential to bring the patient’s insurance card, as some plans require a co-payment, which one can make on-site using a credit card, debit card, or cheque. If the insurance plan requires a referral from the patient’s primary physician, they must ensure that they bring it to the appointment. Patients unsure about this requirement should verify with their insurance provider beforehand.

If you’ve had X-rays or diagnostic tests performed at another facility, bring the images and results to the appointment. Additionally, prepare a list of ongoing medications, vitamins, or herbal supplements the patient takes for the specialist’s review. Dress appropriately for the examination based on the area of concern—for example, wear or bring shorts and sneakers for lower body issues or a tank top for upper body concerns such as shoulder, neck, or upper back pain.

Patients should complete any required medical questionnaires in advance for new injury appointments. Note that initial consultations for musculoskeletal injuries typically last at least 60 minutes.

What can you expect from your first appointment with the sports medicine specialist near you?

Sports medicine specialists aid their patients by restoring functions and activities in the injured region using the fastest and safest methods. When patients visit, they record their medical history and conduct an extensive physical examination of the affected part of the musculoskeletal system.

Depending on the condition, they order diagnostic laboratory and imaging tests. After analyzing the test results, they make a diagnosis and recommend treatment plans to the patients. In addition to prescribing medications, they are experts in performing procedures, such as musculoskeletal injections, ultrasounds, and cardiopulmonary exercise tests. They educate the athletes on safe ways to exercise while recovering, the importance of diet plans and hydration, and ways to prevent injuries in the future.

Safe exercising options 

There are many safe and effective ways to exercise. It is important to choose activities that align with your fitness level, goals, and any existing health conditions you may have. Here are some safe exercise options:

• Walking: It is simple, low-impact, and can be done anywhere. Its benefits include improved cholesterol levels, strengthened bones, healthy blood pressure rate, enhanced mood, lowered risk for diseases like diabetes, and more. Start with a comfortable pace, gradually increase duration and intensity, and wear well-fitting and supportive shoes.
• Swimming: According to research, it provides a full-body workout with minimal impact on joints and elevates mood. Moreover, you can try water aerobics as an alternative. It helps lose weight and gain muscle.
• Tai chi: This Chinese martial art benefits the body and mind by combining movement and relaxation. It is a gentle, slow-paced exercise that focuses on balance and flexibility. Additionally, because classes are available at different tiers, it is accessible and helpful for people of all ages and fitness levels.
• Cycling: Cycling indoors or outdoors is an excellent way to enhance cardiovascular fitness and leg strength. You can adjust the resistance and duration based on your fitness level. A 155-pound individual would burn around 252 calories at a moderate pace for 30 minutes on a stationary bike. Meanwhile, a 185-pound person would burn approximately 294 calories. 
• Yoga: It improves flexibility, balance, and strength. Various styles, including gentle and challenging yoga, suit all fitness levels. Soft and slow methods include Hatha and Iyengar yoga. On the other hand, the pace and difficulty of Bikram and power yoga are more robust.
• Consult a professional: If you need clarification on what exercises are safe, consider consulting a fitness or sports medicine specialist in your vicinity. They can create a personalized exercise plan based on your needs and abilities.

Conditions treated by sports medicine specialists

Sports medicine specialists evaluate and manage musculoskeletal conditions caused by sports or other physical activities. Common sports injuries include sprains and fractures, concussions and other head injuries, Achilles tendon injury, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, hamstring and tailbone injuries, golfer's elbow, dislocated shoulder, tennis elbow, rotator cuff tears, and skier's thumb.

When a ligament stretches or tears, it is known as a sprain; when it is a tendon or a muscle, the condition is called strain. Fractures occur when bones break partially or entirely. Sports-related concussions, which can be caused by blows, jolts, or head bumps, can lead to traumatic brain injury. Rugby, ice hockey, and football players are more at risk for concussions. 

The Achilles tendon runs from the heels to the calf muscles. This tissue is the largest tendon in the human body, and injuries to it generally occur in tennis, soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, gymnastics, track and field athletes, and dancers. Any break or rupture of this tendon leads to severe pain and hinders patients from walking and moving around.

Another connecting tissue frequently injured in sportspersons is the ACL, a ligament connecting the shin and thigh bones. Skiing, basketball, football, and soccer players usually injure their ACLs while playing. Injuries in this region cause a popping sensation, extreme pain, and swelling.

Tailbone injuries occur in players who participate in bicycling and rowing sports. The hamstring, a group of three muscles in the back of the thigh, is injured in soccer, football, basketball, track, and skating athletes.

The rotator cuffs are the muscles and tendons that aid in arm rotation by stabilizing the shoulder joint. Tears in this region can be partial or complete, and they are commonly seen in tennis and baseball players.

Finding the best sports medicine specialist near you in New York, New York

To find qualified and licensed sports medicine specialists in New York to help you, visit Zocdoc and enter a few details. Start by adding the doctor's specialty, condition, symptoms, the address for your current location (home or office), and your current medical insurance. In just a few clicks, Zocdoc will filter through all the sports medicine specialists in its database and present you with a curated list of in-network doctors who meet all your requirements.

To help you make a confident and objective decision, Zocdoc includes a separate profile for all the sports medicine specialists listed on its website. The profile contains information on the doctor's educational background, years spent in training, licenses and certifications, accreditation and affiliations, and any special recognitions received in the past. It also details the specialists' gender, languages they are fluent in, conditions they specialize in treating, and the age group of patients they generally treat. 

If you are still looking for your insurance plan within Zocdoc's listings, you can upload a photo of your medical insurance card to facilitate identification. Once uploaded, Zocdoc's system scans the image to ascertain and display your probable insurance plan. Additionally, for any further inquiries related to insurance matters, please refer to Zocdoc's patient help center.

With Zocdoc, you can link your medical, dental, and vision insurance plans to your account, although you can use only one plan per appointment. You can include secondary insurance details in the appointment notes if you have multiple insurance plans. Alternatively, if your healthcare provider uses Zocdoc’s Intake forms, you can conveniently input your secondary insurance information directly.

Zocdoc allows you to make in-person and online appointments with the desired sports medicine specialist near you. All bookings on Zocdoc are fast, free, and secure!

Sports medicine-related statistics in New York, New York

The Insurance Information Institute published a report listing statistics about pedal cyclists' fatalities in New York in 2020. According to this report, about 47 pedal cyclists lost their lives in New York. This number constituted nearly 4.50% of the total traffic fatalities. The rate of deaths for every 100,000 population in New York during that year was around 0.24. 

An article titled "Sports-related Concussion," published by the New York State Department of Health, stated that among kids aged 19 years and younger in New York who visited a doctor, approximately 4,000 of them came in with traumatic brain injuries caused by sports.

Another report published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) analyzed the rates of pediatric anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in kids in New York State between the years 2009 and 2017. Experts performed about 20,170 ACL repairs during this period, and the researchers found no statistically significant difference between men and women. The highest rate for every 100,000 kids was among patients between 15 and 17 years. In 2009, there were around 49.3 ACL reconstructions per 100,000 children. By 2014, that number had risen to over 61.0; by 2017, it had fallen to about 51.8.

Sources

St. George's University

Medical University of the Americas

Stanford Medicine Children's Health

Insurance Information Institute

New York State Department of Health

National Institutes of Health

Harvard Medical School

Healthline

WebMD

Cleveland Clinic

American Medical Society for Sports Medicine

Healthgrades

The Orthopedic Institute of New Jersey

Nationwide Children’s Hospital

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 immediately.