Do sports medicine doctors only treat athletes?

Even if your “triathlon” is walking the dog, digging in the garden and playing pickleball, a sports medicine doctor may still be able to help you stay active.

Sports medicine specialists treat a wide range of injuries and conditions that affect movement and exercise — not just injuries in competitive athletes. They can also help you safely return to activities after an injury, prevent future problems and improve your performance.

Here’s what sports medicine doctors do, when you might want to see one and what to look for when choosing a specialist.

What is a sports medicine doctor?

Sports medicine doctors have specialized training in treating injuries and health concerns related to physical activity and exercise. Some are orthopedic surgeons who specialize in sports medicine, while others complete residency training in areas such as family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine or physical medicine and rehabilitation before completing additional sports medicine training.

They diagnose and treat conditions that affect your bones, muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments, including fractures, overuse injuries, sprains and strains. They can also treat exercise-related health concerns such as concussion and help people manage conditions that may affect physical activity, including asthma.

Sports medicine doctors often work with physical therapists, athletic trainers and other specialists to help people recover safely and return to the activities they enjoy. 

Who should see a sports medicine doctor?

Deryk Jones, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Sutter, says sports medicine care isn’t just for professional or competitive athletes. Sutter’s sports medicine teams care for people at all activity levels, from professional athletes to weekend warriors and people simply trying to stay active. Sutter currently serves as an official healthcare partner of both the San Francisco 49ers and Sacramento Kings.

You might consider seeing a sports medicine doctor if you:

• Are looking for guidance on exercising safely or improving your technique, such as your running gait
• Have a sports-related injury, such as a concussion, ACL tear, runner’s knee, tendinopathy or tennis or golfer’s elbow
• Have pain, stiffness or mobility problems that interfere with activity and aren’t improving with rest and other at-home care

Sports medicine specialists can also help people return to exercise safely after an injury or build strength and conditioning to reduce the risk of another one.

Improving your performance

Sports medicine care doesn’t stop when an injury heals. Doctors, physical therapists and other sports medicine professionals can also help you improve strength, movement and sport-specific skills.

“Performance enhancement is for when you’re ready to get back on the field and run and work on your sports-specific skills — kicking, throwing, hitting, jumping or landing,” Jones says. “For example, in your offseason, they can help you improve how fast you run and how strong you are, especially focusing on core stability, which can help prevent injuries to other parts of the body.”

That kind of support can be useful whether you’re training for a competition, returning from an injury or simply trying to become stronger and more confident in your favorite activities. 

Choosing a sports medicine doctor

Look for a sports medicine doctor with training and experience that match your needs. Depending on your injury or goals, you may want to consider the types of conditions they treat, whether they specialize in your sport or activity and how closely they work with physical therapists and other members of the sports medicine team.

A coordinated rehabilitation team can be especially important when you’re returning to activity after an injury.

“The therapists who are specifically focused on sports medicine injuries are really key to helping you speed up that return,” Jones says.

Experienced sports medicine professionals know when it’s appropriate to increase your activity and when your body needs more time to heal. That can help you meet important recovery milestones and return to activity safely.