Sports medicine is the part of the medical profession that provides health care for people who take part in physical training or sports. The purpose of sports medicine is to reduce the chance of injury and to effectively treat injuries that do happen. Sports medicine has become a special part of medicine, and a very important part of modern sports.

Experts in sports medicine design sports equipment and ways to use it to get the best effects. Sports medicine doctors also learn how to treat the many different kinds of injuries caused by sports. These include broken bones, and damaged muscles and joints. A doctor provides the medical care necessary to heal an injured player as quickly as possible. The doctor also must take the steps necessary to prevent a repeat of the injury. If injured the body will never be the same again. Sports medicine has taught the medical profession much about injuries and diseases that affect the body's bones, muscles and joints. Experts also have been active in designing modern tables and chairs that can stop the development of physical problems linked to work. One such condition is carpal tunnel syndrome. It is a nerve problem caused by using a typewriter or computer hour after hour.

Sports medicine experts also have used their knowledge of training to help people who have suffered heart attacks. They have designed training methods to help heart attack victims regain their health.

The experts are deeply concerned about training. They do research to find better and safer methods of training athletes. Many top athletes break bones or damage muscles in training or during contests. Sports medicine tries to limit these injuries.

All the doctors and scientists agree that much more research needs to be done about the long-lasting effects of extremely hard training on all athletes.

As more is understood about the human body, changes in training and medicine are expected to continue reducing this risk.