By New York-Presbyterian Hospital
Baseball. Football. Running. Tennis. Golf. Name your game and you can probably cite the many rewards of playing. But with rewards come risks — of injuries that can range from mild to severe, temporary to permanent.
With today’s emphasis on physical activity, the science of sports medicine has evolved. According toDr. George J. Zambetti Jr.,an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at New York-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville, sports medicine differs from traditional medicine in that “it is dedicated to the study and treatment of activity-related injuries, typically in athletes.” 
The field of sports medicine is wide in scope, as it encompasses both acute traumatic injuries and more chronic overuse injuries. “Examples of acute traumatic injuries include shoulder dislocations, knee ligament injuries, tendon ruptures and all types of sprains, fractures and muscle injuries that occur during athletic competition. Chronic overuse syndromes include tendinitis problems (i.e. shoulder, patella, Achilles, etc.), stress fractures, and even early arthritic conditions,” says Dr. Zambetti.