<unk>  specializes in preventing, diagnosing and treating injuries related to participating in<unk>  and/or exercise, specifically the rotation or deformation of joints or muscles caused by engaging in such physical activities. The<unk>  "team" includes specialty physicians and surgeons, athletic trainers, physical therapists, coaches, other personnel, as well as the athlete himself/herself. Because of the competitive nature of<unk> , a primary focus of<unk>  is the rapid recovery of patients, which drives many innovations in the field.<unk>  has always been difficult to define because it is not a single specialty, but an area that involves health care professionals, researchers and educators from a wide variety of disciplines. Its function is not only curative and rehabilitative, but especially preventive.
Despite this wide scope, there has been a tendency for many to assume that<unk> related problems are by default musculoskeletal and that<unk>  is a physiatry or an orthopaedic specialty. There is much more to<unk>  than just musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment. Illness or injury in<unk> can be caused by many factors; from environmental to physiological and psychological.
Consequently,<unk>  can encompass an array of specialties, including cardiology, pulmonology, dermatology, ophthalmology, rehabilitation medicine, orthopaedic surgery, arthroscopy, 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 endocrinological diseases and other such problems in the athlete demands both medical expertise and<unk> 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<unk> ng 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.
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