Sports Doctors in Malta and Gozo
Sports Doctors
In the past sports doctors would have been orthopaedic surgeons or primary care physicians, that dedicate their work to athletes. Nowadays a sports and exercise medicine specialist is a specialist on their own accord.
Their primary focus is to deal with the conservative management of musculoskeletal injuries for both athletes and non-athletes. In addition to preventing injury they also treat the athlete’s problems associated with nutrition, injury, substance abuse and sports psychology.
In the case of professional athletes, sports doctors work hand-in-hand with the team's coaches to enhance the athlete's results and ensure injury-free performance.
When to see a sports doctor
The main reason to see a sports doctor is to prevent injury and improve your performance. This applies whether you are an athlete or not.
You do not usually need a referral from your GP to see a sports doctor. You should visit one if you:
- Are starting a new kind of sport or exercise
- Are suffering from chronic injury
- Sustain a sports-related injury
- Want to improve your performance
- Want to prevent injury