Sports Medicine Doctor: Your Primary Care & Sports Injury Specialist

Many people see a sports medicine doctor after their primary care doctor, personal trainer, or coach diagnoses or suspects a sports- or exercise-related injury. This includes injuries of the bones, joints and muscles, such as sprains, strains, overuse injuries, and pain with exercise. This also includes any condition that affects your ability to participate in sports or exercise, such as asthma and diabetes.

Seeing an experienced sports medicine doctor for early evaluation and treatment is the best way to reduce the risk of permanent or worsening injury, reduced athletic performance, disability, and other complications.

Consider seeking care from a sports medicine doctor if you have any of the following symptoms or conditions:

• Decrease in athletic performance or hitting a plateau in performance

• Headaches or dizziness with exercise or sports

• Pain or discomfort from an old sports injury that recurs with activity

• Pain, cramping, redness or swelling during or after exercise or sports

• Skipped menstrual periods or other cycle changes

• Unusual or unexpected shortness of breath with exercise

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

• You are an active person or athlete and want a doctor to take care of all of your general health needs as well as sports- or exercise-related problems and guidance. For example, you can see an internist or family medicine doctor who is also board certified in sports medicine.

• You are an active person or athlete and want to prevent injuries.

• You want advice about nutrition and hydration to maximize performance, fitness and health.

• You have a child who participates in sports and you want to prevent injuries and ensure the training is safe for his or her age and development.

• You have or want to prevent chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, or obesity, and want to begin or increase an exercise or training program to improve fitness and reduce health risks.

• You want to start or return to an exercise program or sports after an injury or illness.

• You are an older adult or anyone who has not been active and want to begin a safe exercise program.

A sports medicine doctor treats people with sports and exercise injuries, as well as people who want to improve their general fitness or athletic performance and prevent injuries. Conditions a sports medicine doctor may treat include:

• Back pain that occurs with exercise or sports

• Broken or fractured bones including leg, arm, wrist, hand and collarbone (clavicle) fracture

• Female athlete triad, which includes menstrual cycle changes, inadequate calorie intake, and decreased bone density

• Foot pain from conditions including bone spurs, bursitis, arthritis, and plantar fasciitis, which results in pain felt at the bottom of your heel

• Head injuries including concussion

• Heat injuries including sunburn, dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke

• Joint and ligament injuries including ACL injuries, sprained ankles, meniscal tears, knee pain, cartilage injuries, shoulder impingement, shoulder dislocations, golf or tennis elbow, and frozen shoulder

• Muscle and tendon strains including groin pulls and hamstring pulls

• Overuse injuries including stress fractures, shin splints, tendinitis and tendinosis

• Skin injuries including chaffing, blisters, and heat rash

A sports medicine doctor can order or perform and interpret a wide variety of exams and diagnostic tests including:

• General health and screening tests including complete blood count (CBC), urinalysis, chest X-ray, blood glucose (sugar) test, electrolyte tests, liver and kidney function tests, blood pressure screening, and blood oxygen levels (pulse oximetry)

• Imaging tests including X-rays, ultrasounds, computed tomography (CT) scans, nuclear scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Sports medicine doctors design treatment plans that may include the services of other doctors, physical therapists, and athletic trainers. The treatment plan varies depending on your diagnosis.

Sports medicine doctors do not perform surgery. Sports-related injuries that require surgery are often performed by an orthopedic surgeon. Procedures and treatments that may be performed by sports medicine doctors or their treatment teams include: 

• Arthrocentesis (remove fluid from a joint) to test for infection and other conditions

• Guidance for exercise and training including strength and cardiovascular training and improving flexibility

• Healthy lifestyle plans to help healthy people and those with chronic diseases achieve better health and fitness

• Medications including anti-inflammatories and steroid injections

• Physical therapy and therapeutic exercise to improve strength, mobility and fitness

• Post-surgical rehabilitation and recovery to help people return to sports and exercise. This includes rehab after surgery for ligament injuries, bone fractures, carpal tunnel syndrome, hip and knee replacement surgeries, back pain, and back surgeries.

• Return-to-play decisions for a sick or injured athlete

• Sports nutrition guidance including advice about supplements and hydration

• Sports team healthcare including sports physicals, injury assessment and management, and sports psychology and substance abuse issues

• Stabilization and initial treatment for serious injuries on the sports field. On-site care can also include suturing cuts, splinting broken bones, and bandaging.

A doctor may practice sports medicine without becoming board certified in the specialty. However, education, training, experience and certification are key elements in establishing a doctor’s level of competence. Board certification verifies that a doctor has completed residency training in the specialty and has passed competency examinations.

Sports medicine doctors are board certified by one of the following Boards:

• American Board of Emergency Medicine

• American Board of Family Medicine

• American Board of Internal Medicine

• American Board of Pediatrics

• American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

A board-certified sports medicine doctor is a licensed MD (Doctor of Medicine) or DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) who has:

• Graduated from medical school or a college of osteopathic medicine, earning an MD or DO degree

• Earned specialty certification from the American Board of Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, or Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

• Completed a sports medicine fellowship or other approved training program

• Passed an examination in the subspecialty of sports medicine

To maintain board certification in sports medicine, a doctor must complete the certifying Board’s Maintenance of Certification program.

There are no subspecialties of sports medicine recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. However, there are sports medicine doctors who are leaders in their field. Other board-certified specialists, such as orthopedic surgeons and emergency medicine doctors, also treat people with sports injuries. Talk to your doctor about the best type of specialist or subspecialist for you and for referrals to well-respected doctors. When considering a sports medicine doctor, ask him or her to provide details about the training and experience they have.