Key Differences between Sports Medicine Doctors and Orthopaedic Surgeons

Posted by anjo joshy on October 23rd, 2019

Sports medicine doctors play a significant role in maintaining the good health of the athletes. With their help, athletes can stay fit and deliver the best of their performance while playing. While orthopaedic surgeons have a completely different role to play when it comes to dealing with sports injuries, they are often confused as sports medicines doctors.

Both of them have different roles and specializations in keeping the sportspersons fit. Here we have discussed some of the key differences that differentiate sports medicine doctors from orthopaedic surgeons:

1. Treatment of Sports Injuries

Around 90% of sports injuries do not need surgery. A sports medicine doctor can easily handle them. If in case any musculoskeletal injury is severe and complex, and it requires surgery, the athlete is referred to an orthopaedic surgeon. They are experts in the treatment of injuries through the operation.

2. Coverage of Health Aspects

Sports medicine doctors usually handle non-musculoskeletal health aspects like fatigue, concussions, conditioning, asthma due to exercise, overtraining, and other temporary illnesses. Orthopaedic doctors cover severe health aspects like fractures and dislocations and operate them with surgery.

3. Job Responsibilities

The job roles and responsibilities of a sports medicine doctor involve assessing the condition of a patient, guiding them to prevent injuries, doing proper diagnosis and treatment of injuries, advising the required medicines, and keeping the medical records updated.

An orthopaedic surgeon’s job responsibilities comprise of evaluating the condition of patients, conducting any medical examinations if required, prescribing medicines for pain relief, and conducting surgeries for their treatment.

4. Qualifications and Eligibility

Sports medicine doctors are required to complete rigorous training in which they need to do a residency program for three years after the completion of their medical degree. This is followed by another practical training for two years in any associative program.

Orthopaedic surgeons need to complete a residency program for five years as a part of their qualification. They can opt for a specialization in any specific type of treatment with the help of extra training.

Know more about Sports Injury Treatment

5. Areas of Work

While some of the sports doctors may have a clinic, most of them work for sports teams, hospitals, and fitness centres. The areas of work for orthopaedic surgeons include hospitals and medical offices.

Consult a sports medicine doctor for sports injury treatment. YOS Sports is the best sports clinic in Bangalore that has a team of trained sports medical specialists. Contact us to know more.