The Relationship Between Sports Medicine and Sports Psychology
Sports is commonly defined as a physical contact sport which involves a certain level of skill, including basketball or netball. Many forms of competitive sports and some recreational games are also called sports. An athlete in a sports competition is known as a sportsperson. Most individuals also play sports with their buddies.
In the United States, professional sports refer to those activities in which athletes compete in professionally organized competitions. The most popular and widely watched of these professional sports is American football. Professional sports are governed by governing bodies, which determine rules and regulations for the events. Some of the most well-known governing bodies in professional sports are the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Football League (NFL). These leagues have wide-ranging restrictions on how teams and players can perform, as well as the rules for the teams and players.
Amateur sports refer to non-professional sports activities. There are many different amateur sports, which may be played at any level of skill. Many of the most popular non-professional sports are ice hockey, swimming, tennis, golf and bowling. Each sport has a governing body which sets standards and qualifications for players to participate. These standards and qualifications often restrict the abilities of players and restrict the ability to become a part of a team. Often, these teams are informal, often organized by schools or communities and use rules similar to those governing professional sports teams.
Sports psychology is an area of study that considers the psychological aspects of athletes and other physical activity participants. Many professional athletes, especially those with an obvious level of physical prowess, have a strong presence of professional sports psychologists. Sports psychologists offer support and advice to athletes with a variety of injuries and emotional concerns. Some sports psychologists examine the mental and emotional makeup of professional athletes and the strategies they use to train and prepare for competitions. Sports psychologists also help their patients manage pain and improve their performance while suffering from injuries and from emotional distress.
Sports psychology is an interesting subset of sports medicine which studies both the physiological aspects of sport and the psychological aspects of sport. Many psychologists working in this field have a background in physical fitness or exercise. Because mental fitness and physical fitness are two separate domains, many psychologists who specialize in sports medicine and in sports psychology share a common platform of wanting to help athletes improve both strength power and endurance, while also maintaining good psychological health. For example, a tight golfer might benefit from discussing physical strength with a sports medicine doctor who knows the correct swing strategy for that particular golfer. A football player might benefit from discussing strategies for improving his/her strength and power.
Sports medicine and sports psychology are two separate sections within the field of healthcare, yet they often work closely with one another. A sports medicine doctor may treat a professional athlete with a sports-related injury and then treat the athlete with psychosocial factors that may impact that injury. Similarly, a sports psychologist will likely treat a professional sports team athlete with physical fitness issues and then address the mental health issues that may contribute to that injury. Together, these two healthcare arenas provide excellent opportunities to help people get back to the game they love. A smart sports medicine doctor will take all of the above into account as he or she diagnoses and treats a patient with a sports-related illness or injury.