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. Washington, D.C. has 17 practicing sports medicine doctor in Washington.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Washington, D.C. has a population of 550,521. Of this population, 110,240 are under the age of 18 and 66,591 are at or above the age of 65.