What is a Sports Doctor and where does a 'sport and exercise medicine specialist' fit?
Like all aspects of the medical system, the area of musculoskeletal medicine is becoming highly specialised and sub specialised.
The area of 'sports and exercise medicine' is a recently established specialty and some patients and even some doctors like GP's are unsure where in the new pathway following an injury that the Sports physician fits.
The Sports physician, has been trained by the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP). They are doctor's who have completed a minimum of 4 years of extra specialty training (in addition to the usual 6-8 years of medical training and 3 years of hospital training to qualify as a doctor in Australia) . They see patients with purely sports and exercise medicine and musculoskeletal conditions. They have expertise in the accurate diagnosis of all sports related injuries and recommend the best evidence based pathways for treatment. That pathway may involve further testing, physiotherapy, orthopaedic surgery, dietitian, exercise physiology etc. Sports medicine specialists are also best placed for exercise prescription for injuries and chronic conditions, especially in light of difficult medical conditions, comorbidities and use of medications.
Dr Luke Inman is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (FACSEP) having passed his final specialty exams in 2015 and has been a member of this college since 2009.
In the best interest of the patient, medical training is required to formally diagnose any injury or illness. There are a multitude of medical illnesses, neurological conditions, compromise of blood supply, cancer etc. that can masquerade as musculoskeletal conditions, especially in persisting and chronic injuries. Also, the doctor is best placed in the current medical pathway to provide medical injury and population-wide primary preventative measures and prescribe medicine, refer for further tests, or refer to other specialists.
The area of 'sports and exercise medicine' is a recently established specialty and some patients and even some doctors like GP's are unsure where in the new pathway following an injury that the Sports physician fits.
The Sports physician, has been trained by the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP). They are doctor's who have completed a minimum of 4 years of extra specialty training (in addition to the usual 6-8 years of medical training and 3 years of hospital training to qualify as a doctor in Australia) . They see patients with purely sports and exercise medicine and musculoskeletal conditions. They have expertise in the accurate diagnosis of all sports related injuries and recommend the best evidence based pathways for treatment. That pathway may involve further testing, physiotherapy, orthopaedic surgery, dietitian, exercise physiology etc. Sports medicine specialists are also best placed for exercise prescription for injuries and chronic conditions, especially in light of difficult medical conditions, comorbidities and use of medications.
Dr Luke Inman is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (FACSEP) having passed his final specialty exams in 2015 and has been a member of this college since 2009.
In the best interest of the patient, medical training is required to formally diagnose any injury or illness. There are a multitude of medical illnesses, neurological conditions, compromise of blood supply, cancer etc. that can masquerade as musculoskeletal conditions, especially in persisting and chronic injuries. Also, the doctor is best placed in the current medical pathway to provide medical injury and population-wide primary preventative measures and prescribe medicine, refer for further tests, or refer to other specialists.