Sports medicine is the field of medicine that treats sports-related injuries and many other issues regarding those involved in sports. A sports medicine physician works with athletes to prevent injury and illness, and to improve health and fitness. This specialist promotes the prevention of injury, and is knowledgeable in cardiology, orthopedics, exercise physiology, nutrition, psychology, emergency medicine, and other fields.

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are Spinal Stenosis, Spinal Injury, Spinal Infection, Scoliosis, Tendonitis, Spondylolisthesis, Spinal Discectomy, arthritis, Carpal tunnel syndrome, Bursitis of the Hip, Spinal Deformity, Spinal Cord Tumors, Herniated Disc, Arthritis of the Shoulder, Tendinitis of the Wrist, Concussion, Frozen Shoulder, Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow), Bunions, and Torn ACL.

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including cartilage transplant, Back / Spine Surgery , Hand surgery, Knee replacement, Hip Replacement, Disc Disease / Surgery, limb lengthening, Invasive Disc Surgery, Hip Surgery, shoulder surgery, Kyphosis Surgery, knee surgery, Joint Surgery, and Total Shoulder Replacement.

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including Arthroscopy, x-ray, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), musculoskeletal examination, physicial examination, and Cardiac Examination.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. Illinois has 193 practicing sports medicine doctors. Broken out by city, sports medicine doctor density in Algonquin is 3, in Alton is 1, in Arlington Heights is 2, in Arthur is 1, in Aurora is 7, in Belleville is 7, in Bellwood is 3, in Berwyn is 5, in Bloomingdale is 3, in Bloomington is 2, in Bourbonnais is 1, in Breese is 1, in Burr Ridge is 1, in Carbondale is 3, in Centralia is 2, in Champaign is 2, in Chicago is 49, in Chillicothe is 1, in Collinsville is 1, in Columbia is 2, in Countryside is 1, in Crystal Lake is 3, in Danville is 1, in Decatur is 3, in Dekalb is 1, in Des Plaines is 1, in Dixon is 1, in Downers Grove is 10, in Effingham is 2, in Elgin is 4, in Elk Grove Village is 6, in Elmhurst is 5, in Evanston is 1, in Fairfield is 1, in Frankfort is 3, in Franklin Park is 1, in Geneva is 3, in Glen Ellyn is 5, in Glendale Heights is 1, in Glenview is 4, in Grayslake is 1, in Great Lakes is 2, in Hazel Crest is 2, in Hinsdale is 3, in Hoffman Estates is 3, in Hometown is 2, in Joliet is 2, in Kankakee is 2, in La Grange is 1, in La Grange Highlands is 1, in Lake Barrington is 1, in Lake Bluff is 1, in Lake Forest is 2, in Lemont is 10, in Lombard is 4, in Martinsville is 1, in Matteson is 1, in Maywood is 5, in Mokena is 1, in Moline is 2, in Morris is 1, in Mount Vernon is 3, in Naperville is 16, in Nashville is 1, in New Lenox is 3, in Oak Lawn is 2, in Oak Park is 6, in Oakbrook Terrace is 4, in Olympia Fields is 2, in Orland Park is 4, in Palos Hills is 1, in Park Ridge is 3, in Paxton is 1, in Pekin is 1, in Peoria is 6, in Plainfield is 2, in Quincy is 7, in Richton Park is 1, in Rock Island is 1, in Rockford is 3, in Roselle is 3, in Saint Charles is 4, in Salem is 1, in Schaumburg is 4, in Schiller Park is 1, in Silvis is 1, in Skokie is 1, in Springfield is 3, in Tinley Park is 1, in Urbana is 3, in Warrenville is 1, in West Frankfort is 1, in Westchester is 1, in Western Springs is 1, in Wheaton is 3, in Willowbrook is 3, in Wilmette is 1, in Winfield is 3, in Wood Dale is 1, and in Yorkville is 3.

Most people think that Chicago, because of its size and popularity, is Illinois’ capital city, but that distinction belongs to Springfield, home of the Abraham Lincoln Museum. Illinois has hundreds of museums, numerous yearly art and ethnic festivals, a lakeshore bordering Lake Michigan, and the many national forests and parks that offers visitors camping, horseback riding, biking, kayaking, and fishing. Chicago is home to the Sears Tower, the Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Adler Planetarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, and other cultural opportunities and restaurants in the Navy Pier area.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Illinois has a population of 12,763,371. Of this population, 3,172,677 are under the age of 18 and 1,523,937 are at or above the age of 65.