 Sports medicine or sport medicine is an interdisciplinary specialty of medicine which deals with the treatment and preventive care of athletes, both amateur and professional. Despite this wide scope, there has been a tendency for many to assume that sport-related problems are by default musculoskeletal and that sports medicine is an orthopaedic specialty. There is much more to sports medicine than just musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment. Illness or injury in sport can be caused by many factors – from environmental to physiological and psychological. Consequently, sports medicine can encompass an array of specialties, including cardiology, pulmonology, orthopaedic surgery, exercise physiology, biomechanics, and traumatology.
For example, heat, cold or altitude during training and competition can alter performance or may even be life threatening. The female triad of disordered eating, menstrual disturbances, and bone density problems, and the problems of pregnant or aging athletes demand knowledge from many diverse fields. In addition, the management of dermatological and endocrinological diseases and other such problems in the athlete demands both medical expertise and sport-specific knowledge. The use of supplements, pharmacological or otherwise, and the topics of doping control and gender verification present complex moral, legal and health-related difficulties. Further unique problems are associated with international sporting events, such as the effects of travel and acclimatization, and the attempt to balance an athlete's participation with his or her health. Much of this draws on new fields of study, in which extensive clinical and basic science research is burgeoning. Sports Medicine Australia is Australia’s peak national umbrella body for sports medicine and sports science which draws together all sports science and sports medicine professionals, such as: - Orthopedic surgeons
- physicians
- doctors
- physiotherapists
- optometrists
- dentists
- podiatrists
- dietitians
- psychologists
- sports scientists
- nurses
- teachers
- exercise physiologists
- academics
- population health specialists Science and Medicine in Sport, Sports Trainers Digest, and various occasional publications.  | The Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, published by Sports medicine Australia, is the major refereed research publication on sport science and medicine in Australia. The Journal provides high quality, original research papers to keep members and subscribers informed of developments in sports science and medicine. The Journal is produced for SMA six times a year. It reflects SMA’s commitment to encouraging world-class research within the industry, and its commitment to the continuing education of its members. | | | Sport Health is SMA’s quarterly magazine for both members and the general public. Sport Health covers topical issues and the interests and activities of the various disciplines, which make up the sports science and medicine community within Australia. Profiles of athletes and coaches provide an insight into the ways in which sports research has increased the skills and performance on a practical level. It serves to keep members up to date on SMA activities and inform them of SMA resources and events. | | | The Sport Trainers Digest is specifically designed for sports trainers who are accredited under the Safer Sport Program. The Digest covers topical issues for sports trainers, and help keep trainers up to date on the latest advances in sports medicine, which will directly affect the trainer’s role in the sporting community. |  | SMA also produces a wide array of position papers, policies, occasional publications and guidelines. Some publications on the agenda include a series of fact sheets for Women in Sport, Safety Guidelines for Children in Sport and Recreation and a Health Professionals Handbook on Drugs in Sport. The Sports Trainers and Sport First Aid manuals are also available to purchase through the SMA National Office. | | Choose Health: Be Active "A physical activity guide for older Australians" is an intiative of Sports Medicine Australia and the Australian Government Departments of Health and Ageing and Veterans Affairs. It is designed to help older Australians achieve sufficient physical activity for good health as they age. Copies are available from SMA and the Department of Health and Aging, call 1800 500 853 or the Department of Veterans Affairs call 133 254. |
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