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Choose the Right Sports Medicine Expert
July 7, 2020
By Christina Eyers, Ed.D., AT, ATC
Henry Ford Health System
If you're an athlete, chances are you'll require specialized care from a health professional during your career.
Confused about the differences between athletic trainers, sports medicine physicians and exercise physiologists, among other experts? You're not alone!
Each of these professionals has different levels of training, expertise and certifications, but the care they provide often overlaps. That's one reason why they often work together.
Sports Professionals Defined
Caring for athletes isn't always clear-cut. In fact, most athletes require a full team of professionals working in concert to stay at the top of their game. Yet confusion remains about which professionals you need to see for training, injury prevention, and recovery and treatment after an injury.
Each type of professional has its own set of experience, training and certifications. Here’s how they measure up:
· Sports medicine doctor: Sports medicine physicians are typically trained in orthopedic surgery, primary care or emergency medicine. These professionals have medical degrees as well as specialized training in sports medicine, including the prevention and treatment of injury. In addition to caring for conditions ranging from concussion to head colds, sports medicine physicians also focus on helping people return to sports safely and effectively after illness or injury.
· Athletic trainer: Athletic trainers take care of athletes from prevention through rehabilitation. In collaboration with a physician, these professionals offer insights that help minimize risk and prevent injuries. They evaluate athletes and provide immediate care and treatment, sometimes even on the sidelines. They also provide rehabilitation and reconditioning after an injury or illness.
· Exercise physiologist: Exercise physiologists study the effect of exercise on the muscular, cardiovascular, and sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. They examine functional capacity and strength due to endurance training or strength training. These professionals may also test athletes for VO2max (your oxygen volume while training) and body composition (the ratio of fatty mass to lean mass).
· Physical medicine and rehab physician: These professionals treat a variety of medical conditions that affect the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons. They take the whole body into account to pinpoint problems and enhance performance without surgery.
· Physical therapist: Physical therapists diagnose and treat individuals of all ages with conditions that limit their ability to move and perform daily activities.
Other Specialized Professionals Who Care for Athletes
In addition to the health care professionals described above, athletes may meet with a host of experts, including:
· Nurses and medical assistants
· Occupational therapists
· Cardiologists
· Neurologists
· Behavioral health specialists
· Dietitians
· Complementary medical practitioners, such as acupuncturists and chiropractors
None of these individuals are "fitness professionals," a term nearly anyone can use to describe a range of professional activities. Rather, these sports medicine experts are part of a comprehensive team that includes at least one physician. They are each licensed by the state to provide specialized care to athletes.
Personal trainers, on the other hand, focus on helping people find their way around the gym, hold them accountable to achieve their goals and help new exercisers and seasoned fitness enthusiasts stick to a workout regimen.
If you're an athlete, you need a team of health professionals who can provide comprehensive care to reach your highest potential.
Christina Eyers, Ed.D., AT, ATC, is the Director of Athletic Training & Community Outreach with Henry Ford Sports Medicine.
Want to learn more? Henry Ford Health System sports medicine experts are treating the whole athlete, in a whole new way. From nutrition to neurology, and from injury prevention to treatment of sports-related conditions, they can give your athlete a unique game plan.
Visit henryford.com/sports or call (313) 972-4216 for an appointment within 24 business hours.
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This Week in High School Sports: 2/10/17
February 10, 2017
The latest edition of "This Week In High School Sports" features a report on the Interstate 8 boys basketball race, discusses Ejections in its Be The Referee segment and finishes with an MHSAA Perspective on transfers in high school sports.
The 5-minute program, powered by MI Student Aid, leads off each week with feature stories from around the state from the MHSAA’s Second Half or network affiliates. "Be The Referee," a 60-second look at the fine art of officiating, comes in the middle of the show; and is followed by a closing MHSAA "Perspective."
Listen to this week's show by Clicking Here.
Past editions
Feb. 3: Powers North Central's boys basketball winning streak, how the local nature of high school sports led to two long-time basketball state records being broken - Listen
Jan. 27: Pixellot technology comes to Otisville-LakeVille, Holt's wrestling community rallies around longtime coach Rocky Shaft - Listen
Jan. 20: Beaverton boys basketball coach Roy Johnston, preserving participation opportunities for girls - Listen
Jan. 13: Alpena teaches life lessons, false promises behind costly "college exposure" events - Listen
Jan. 6: Retirement of Gary Thompkins’ basketball number at Jackson High School, stories told by high school letterwinners' jackets - Listen
Dec. 23: Battle of the Fans VI, gifts we all enjoy including some we may not immediately recognize - Listen
Dec. 16: Williamston boys basketball, recognition for a longtime northern Michgian official - Listen
Dec. 9: New baseball pitch limit, MHSAA rules relation to national championship events - Listen
Dec. 2: Defense reigns in Division 4 Football Final, teaching class in both victory and defeat - Listen
Nov. 25: Novi's repeat volleyball championship, giving thanks for schools' weather-related work - Listen
Nov. 18: Pewamo-Westphalia football star Jared Smith, behind-the-scenes heroes - Listen
Nov. 11: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart girls cross country, Big Ten move to Friday night football - Listen
Nov. 4: Upper Peninsula 8-player football showdown, how high school sports in Michigan have it pretty good compared with other states - Listen
Oct. 28: Montrose School Broadcast Program athletes, Football Playoff excitement - Listen
Oct. 21: Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett boys tennis, Football Playoffs selection breakdown - Listen
Oct. 14: Sturgis girls golf, latest from "You've Got to be Kidding Me" file - Listen
Oct. 7: Grand Ledge boys soccer, recent NFHS Hall of Fame selection Ken Beardslee of Vermontville - Listen
Sept. 30: Grand Rapids South Christian boys soccer, Michigan teams supporting many worthy causes - Listen
Sept. 23: Newberry football, downsides of national coverage of high school sports - Listen
Sept. 16: MHSAA study of concussions in high school sports during the 2015-16 school year - Listen
Sept. 9: Benton Harbor football, football rules differences between high school and college/pro levels - Listen
Sept. 2: Fenton boys cross country, debuts of new football stadiums - Listen
Aug. 29: Haslett no-contact football practices, multi-sport participation and sportsmanship - Listen