Sports medicine
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. Although most sports teams have employed team physicians for many years, it is only since the late 20th century that sports medicine has emerged as a distinct field of health care. In some countries, Sports medicine is a recognized medical specialty, whereas in other countries it is a special interest area but not an actual specialty.
Scope
Sports medicine can refer to the specific medical specialty or subspecialty of Sports Medicine or Sport and Exercise Medicine, which is now well established in many countries. It can broadly also refer to doctors and other paramedical practitioners who work in a more broad setting. The various sports medicine experts often work together as a team to ensure the best recovery plan for the individual. Team members can include orthopedic surgeons, certified athletic trainers, sports physical therapists, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, as well as specialty SEM physiciansSpecializing in the treatment of athletes and other physically active individuals, sports and exercise medicine physicians have extensive education in musculoskeletal medicine. SEM doctors treat injuries such as muscle, ligament, tendon and bone problems, but may also treat chronic illnesses that can affect physical performance, such as asthma and diabetes. SEM doctors also advise on managing and preventing injuries.
SEM consultants also deliver clinical physical activity interventions, negating the burden of disease directly attributable to physical inactivity and the compelling evidence for the effectiveness of exercise in the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of disease.
European templates for SEM specialisation generally recommend 4 years of in all of:
- internal medicine with special emphasis on cardiology, emergency medicine and clinical nutrition
- orthopaedics and traumatology
- physical and rehabilitation medicine
- fellowship at a recognised sports medicine centre.
Establishment of Sports (and Exercise) Medicine as a Medical Specialty
The Italian version of this page :it:Medicina dello sport|Medicina dello sport states that Sports Medicine societies were first established in Switzerland followed by: Germany, France and Italy . Sports medicine was established as a specialty in Italy, the first country to do so, in 1958. The European Union of Medical Specialists has defined necessary training requirements for the establishment of the specialty of Sports Medicine in a given European country. It is a goal of the European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations to eventually establish Sports Medicine as a specialty in all European countries.
In Australia and New Zealand, Sport and Exercise Medicine is a stand-alone medical specialty, with the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians being one of Australia's 15 recognized medical specialty Colleges.
An anomaly with respect to specialty recognition of SEM is that it has not yet occurred in some of the countries with very strong pedigrees in academic publication in the Sports Medicine field, including Sweden, Norway and South Africa. Sports medicine is only a subspecialty field rather than stand-alone specialty in the USA and Canada. All of these countries have very strong research publication records in the SEM field.
| Country | Specialist sports physician association | Fully recognized specialty? | Training requirements | General sports medicine association |
| Australia | Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians | Yes | 4 year training program | Sports Medicine Australia |
| Austria | Austrian Society of Sports Medicine | Yes | 3 year Diploma | |
| Belarus | Belarus Sports Medicine Association | Yes | ||
| Belgium | The Belgian Federation of Sport and Exercise Medicine | Subspecialty | 1 year | |
| Bosnia Herzegovina | Sports Medicine Association Bosnia Herzegovina | Yes | 5 years | |
| Brazil | Brazilian Society of Exercise and Sports Medicine | Yes | 3 years | |
| Bulgaria | Bulgarian Scientific Society of Sports Medicine and Kinesitherapy | Yes | 4 years | |
| Canada | Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine | Subspecialty | ||
| China | No | Chinese Association of Sports Medicine | ||
| Croatia | Croatian Sports Medicine Society | Subspecialty of Occupational Medicine | ||
| Cuba | Yes | |||
| Czech Republic | Czech Society of Sports Medicine | Yes | 5 years | |
| Denmark | No | Danish Association of Sports Medicine | ||
| Finland | Finnish Society of Sports Medicine | Yes | 5 years | |
| France | Sport and Exercise Medicine French Association | Yes | ||
| Georgia | Georgian Association of Sports Medicine | Yes | ||
| Germany | German Federation for Sports Medicine | Yes | ||
| Hungary | National Institute for Sports Medicine | Subspecialty | ||
| India | No | Indian Association of Sports Medicine | ||
| Indonesia | Indonesia Sports Medicine Association | Yes | 3,5 years | Indonesian Sports Health Supervisory Association |
| Ireland | Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine | Yes | ||
| Israel | Israel Society of Sports Medicine | Yes | ||
| Italy | Federazione Medico Sportiva Italiana | Yes | 5 years | |
| Japan | Japan Medical Association Certified Sports Health Medical System | Yes | The Japanese Federation of Physical Fitness & Sports Medicine | |
| Latvia | Latvian Sports Medicine Association | Yes | 4 years | |
| Mexico | Yes | |||
| Netherlands | Netherlands Association of Sports Medicine NASM - VSG | Yes | 4 years | |
| New Zealand | Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians | Yes | 4 years | Sports Medicine New Zealand |
| Norway | No | Norwegian Sports Medicine Association | ||
| Poland | Yes | |||
| Portugal | Sociedade Portuguesa de Medicina Desportiva | Yes | ||
| Qatar | ASPETAR | Yes | ||
| Russia | Russian Association of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation of Patients and the Disabled | Yes | 2 years | |
| Serbia | Sport Medicine Association of Serbia | Yes | 3 years | |
| Slovakia | Slovak Society of Sports Medicine | Subspecialty | ||
| Slovenia | Slovenian Sports Medicine Association | Yes | ||
| South Africa | No | South Africa Sports Medicine Association | ||
| South Korea | Subspecialty | Korean Society of Sports Medicine | ||
| Spain | SMD | Yes | 3 years | |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka Sports Medicine Association | Yes | 3 years | |
| Sweden | No | Swedish Society for Physical Activity and Sports Medicine | ||
| Switzerland | Swiss Society for Sports Medicine | Subspecialty | ||
| Turkey | Turkish Sports Medicine Association | Yes | ||
| Ukraine | Ukranian Sport Medicine and Physical Exercises Specialists Association | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom | Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK | Yes | 4 years | British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine |
| United States of America |
| Subspeciality of: | 1-2 year Fellowships | American College of Sports Medicine |
| Uruguay | Yes |