Sports medicine

Sports medicine is a relatively new field or subsection of medicine. Although it has solid roots in the past, its existence is very much a part of the history of the 20th and 21st centuries. Sports medicine is a growing field of employment due to the explosive expansion in sports and athletic activities. Not only are there the traditional high school, professional and amateur sports, but there are also "extreme" sports.With every athletic event, there is a risk of injury. In the instances of the so-called extreme versions, the likelihood of accidents and harm to the body increases. The focus of sports medicine is on the proper functioning of the human body during athletics and sporting competitions. Its concern is to prevent and treat any possible injuries resulting from such activities.There is a demand for practitioners in the discipline of sports medicine. The need for people to be able to diagnose and manage sporting injuries is increasing proportionately to the interest in extreme, elite, professional amateur, and recreational sports. Employers vary from professional team owners or managers to elite athletes to high schools and colleges. Anyone interested in pursuing a career in this field of study and work will find him or herself facing an ever-widening choice of possible employment.The field of sports medicine is growing because it is a varied one. It is not a single sphere of expertise. The term "sports medicine" is a wide umbrella encompassing diverse professions. It is not a single profession. This makes the term hard to define, but it opens up many different doors of employment for now and in the future.Where specifically does a specialist in sports medicine find work? The specialist works with athletes in the field and in a clinical setting. He or she may become a team physician or an athletic trainer. There are those in sports medicine who practice as orthopedic surgeons, exercise physiologists, biomechanists, physical therapists, sports psychologists, and sports nutritionists. All have their niche within this diverse subsection of medicine.