Sports medicine can basically be defined as a field of medicine dealing with treatment and management of injuries and illnesses resulting from sports or athletic activities. The growth of this field of medicine can be attributed to recent influx of information on management of sports related injuries and illnesses as well as the massive amounts of funds being invested in sports medicine research and curative practices.

There are basically two dimensions in the field of sports medicine. These are treatment of sports related injuries and disorders and prevention of injuries and illnesses through proper planning and analysis of factors that cause these injuries or disorders.

In the past, treatment and attention of sports injuries was left to the team physician who probably worked elsewhere in a clinic or hospital. There used to be inadequate attention, advice, and guidance to athletes suffering from sports injuries until the emergence of this field of medicine. Today sports medicine involves several types of health care professionals who work with college teams, professional athletics or sports clubs, and high profile sports men and women.

Sports medicine specialists are well trained in diverse fields such as athletic training, biomechanics, exercise physiology, nutrition, sports psychology, physical therapy, and nursing just to mention a few. The field of sports medicine can be applied in a number of settings. For example, physical therapy has always been supplemented by knowledge acquired through sports medicine techniques. Most sports medicine specialists double as exercise physiologists, team physicians, and coaches as well. They are involved research projects in medical schools as biomechanists and as exercise physiologists in fitness centers.

There are many other consumer groups that benefit from skills of sports medicine professionals away from the field. These include centers for disabled people, private orthopedic clinics that treat patients with musculoskeletal complications. However, the main goal of sports medicine remains to improve and maintain good health and optimal performance for athletes.