What is sports medicine? Classification, pathologies and treatment

Sports medicine is based on study that physical and sports activity has in the human body. It offers multiple advantages in the treatment and prevention of injuries, significantly improving patient performance.

What is sports or physical activity medicine?

The sports medicine It is a specialty of medicine that focuses on study of sports activity in the body. The treatments of this technical specialty focus on the treatment and prevention of pathologies and injuries, usually caused by sports practice.

Objectives of sports medicine

As mentioned, physical activity medicine has very defined objectives. First of all, the prevention of injuries and pathologiesNot only muscular, but also pathologies of the cardiovascular, circulatory and respiratory systems. In addition, it also works on preventive guidelines for injuries to the musculoskeletal system, produced during or after sporting activity.

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Another of the pillars of sports medicine It is the diagnosis of pathologies and injuries, especially related to bones and muscles. And finally, a third objective is the treatment of injuries. It is usual that High-performance athletes turn to physical activity medicine to prevent an injury from affecting their sporting career, as well as keeping them from high performance.

Sports medicine specialties

Inside of sports medicine distinguishes different specialties, depending on the objectives they work on, as well as the focus of their treatments. First of all, they differentiate types of sports medicine more characteristic, for example, the anatomy and biomechanics of exercise, which focus on working on correct technique, modifying movements that can increase the chances of developing an injury.

On the other hand, subspecialties are distinguished such as pharmacology, nutrition or sports psychology. All of them focus on working on aspects related to sports that can contribute to improving the patient's performance, physical capacity or emotions during sports practice.

What pathologies does sports medicine treat?

The spectrum of pathologies and injuries treated is very broad and ranges from simple injuries to more complex pathologies. Some most common injuries in sports medicine specialist consultations They are, for example, sprains, strains, muscle cramps, ligaments or bone injuries such as the break or fracture of femur, hip or shoulder.

Besides, the physical education and sports medicine treats pathologies, such as concussion, which is caused by head trauma, generally caused by blows or falls at high speed. In these cases, work is done to minimize its consequences, as well as the possible brain damage that it may cause.

Main treatments of physical education and sports medicine

The Sports medicine treatments are very varied, depending on the pathology to be treated, the patient's symptoms and the impact it may have on the development of their sporting activity. One of the most recurrent treatments, both in a recovery and prevention process, is physiotherapy. Manual therapy is usually combined with scheduled exercises that help regain mobility and strengthen the muscles. In this way, the patient will be able to carry out an active recovery from his injury.

On the other hand, always supervised by a sports doctor, a guided physical exercise routine can be carried out that helps to work and improve the technique, with the aim of avoiding injuries or relapses in already treated pathologies. For this, machinery can be used.

Lastly, in severe injuries, intravenous treatment may be used. This usually occurs in patients in whom oral analgesic treatment has not produced the desired effects. The most common are infiltrations with corticosteroids, which help reduce inflammation and relieve the patient's pain.

Benefits of sports medicine

This specialty offers multiple benefits, both in the treatment and prevention of injuries. As it is based on active recovery, the athlete's physical form will be maintained and they will be able to resume sporting activity in a minimum of time.

In addition, working on technique and posture will help avoid injuries, as well as reduce overload on certain muscles. Postural hygiene will be worked on and improved.

In short, it could be said that the great benefit of sports medicine It is the improvement in the performance of patients that they see translated into the minimization of their injuries, as well as their results.

As explained, sports medicine can provide numerous advantages in the treatment of injuries. However, it is important to have a sports trauma doctor that evaluates the patient's symptoms and characteristics, being able to address the treatment in the most complete and appropriate way.