Sports Medicine Doctors
GRSM Sports Medicine Doctors provide expert medical care for both high performance athletes, recreational athletes and active individuals.
Sports Medicine Clinic Treatments Include:
- GRSM Sports Medicine Doctors are certified with the Canadian Academy of Sport & Exercise Medicine (CASEM)
- Assess and treat athletic injuries
- Manage exercise-related medical problems (e.g. exercise induced asthma)
- Exercise counselling for a healthy lifestyle
- Preventing athletic injuries and medical problems
- Doctor visits are covered by OHIP. You must present a valid health card at each visit
**Please note the following**
A referral from a Physician/Medical Doctor is required to book an appointment with our Sports Medicine Doctors
Our Sports Medicine Doctors do not see injuries related to WSIB or motor vehicle accidents
Our Sports Medicine Physicians in Kitchener and Cambridge
Common Sports Injuries and Conditions We Treat
- Osteoarthritis
- Sever's Disease
- Stress Fractures
- Patellofemoral Syndrome
- Sciatica
- Concussion
- Rotator Cuff Dysfunction
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Metatarsalgia
- Finger/Wrist Tendonitis
- Achilles Tendonitis
- Overuse Sports Injuries
- Groin Pull
- Hamstring Strain
- Elbow Pain (Golfer’s/Tennis Elbow)
- Knee Ligament Tears (ACL, MCL)
- Post-Surgical Rehabilitation
- Post-Fracture Rehabilitation
- Shoulder Separation
- Frozen Shoulder
- Shoulder Pain
- Calcific Tendinopathy
Our Sports Medicine Programs
Osteoarthritis Centre of Excellence
A program to help people achieve their exercise and lifestyle goals when faced with knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA).
Sports Concussion Program
GRSM is committed to providing an efficient and comprehensive assessment and treatment of sport concussions in the high standard of care that GRSM is renowned for.
Acute Injuries Rapid Response
GRSM is committed to providing a Rapid Response in assessing and treating Acute Injuries that have been referred by Physicians.
The Ultimate Guide to Sports Medicine Physicians
What is a Sports Medicine Doctor?
Sports Medicine Doctors have advanced education and training in diagnosing, treating, and preventing injuries and conditions related to physical activity and sports. They play a very important role in helping you recover from your sports injuries, optimize your athletic performance, and maintain overall physical health.
What Training Does a Sports Medicine Doctor Have?
When you are looking for a certified and reputable sports medicine doctor, you will want to do your research into the qualifications of the sports medicine doctor that you are considering seeing. Here is an outline of the education and training that a sports medicine doctor undertakes.
- In Canada, a sports medicine doctor starts by obtaining a medical degree (MD) from a recognized medical school.
- After medical school, they complete a residency program which is like a specialized internship. The majority sports medicine doctors complete a residency in family medicine, which typically lasts two or three years. Some sports medicine doctors complete a residency program in pediatrics, emergency medicine, or physiatry.
- Following residency, they undertake a fellowship or enhanced residency training in sports medicine, which is usually one to two years in length and provides specialized training in managing sports-related injuries, rehabilitation, and performance optimization.
- Before practicing as a sports medicine doctor, they obtain certification from the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) with added qualifications in sports medicine, or from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) if their residency was in pediatrics, emergency medicine or physiatry. This certification is usually described as a “Certificate of Added Competency”.
- In addition, most sports medicine doctors in Canada are tested by taking a thorough and challenging certification examination conducted by the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM). Doctors who pass this exam are designated by the “Diploma in Sport & Exercise Medicine” as part of their qualifications.
- Sports Medicine doctors also engage in continuous education to stay current with the latest developments in sports medicine. Clinical experience, including work with sports teams and athletic programs, is integral to their training, ensuring they are adept at addressing the unique needs of athletes and active individuals.
- So in addition to looking into their qualifications, you should find a sports medicine doctor who has experience in treating sports and activities that you are engaged
How Does a Sports Medicine Doctor Help You with Your Sports Injury?
Whether you are an elite athlete, a weekend warrior, a recreational non-competitive athlete or someone who just wants to remain physically active, a sports medicine doctor is well suited to help you. A sports medicine doctor has advanced education and training in diagnosing, treating, and preventing injuries and conditions related to physical activity and sports. They play a very important role in helping you recover from your sports injuries, optimize your athletic performance, and maintain overall physical health.
Sports Injury Diagnosis:
Sports medicine doctor have expert knowledge and skill in diagnosing a wide range of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions. Common issues that a sports medicine doctor addresses include sprains and strains to more complex conditions like torn ligaments, fractures, dislocations and concussions. See HERE for a comprehensive list of injuries. They use a combination of careful listening to your concerns, physical examination, imaging tests (like X-rays or MRIs), and sometimes lab tests to determine the diagnosis so that together you can then figure out the best course of action.
Sports Injury Treatment:
Once an accurate diagnosis is made, sports medicine doctors will provide expert advice regarding treatment, such as physiotherapy, other types of therapy (e.g., chiropractic, massage, osteopathy), medication, supplements, bracing and other supports, orthotics and other foot implements, injections, and rehabilitation exercises. A sports medicine doctor does not do surgery but can provide advice about the criteria for whether or not you require surgery for your sports injury, and more importantly, what you can do to avoid surgery if that is the better option.
Injury Rehab and Recovery:
Your sports medicine doctor will help to design a personalized rehabilitation program to help you regain strength, flexibility, and function. The goal is to optimize your recovery as quickly as possible, but in a safe manner that does not compromise your long-term function. Sports medicine doctors work closely with other health care professionals, especially physiotherapists, to set up an comprehensive rehab program that suits your personal life and athletic goals.
Specialized Injections for Sports Injuries:
Do you have a sports injury, such as a chronic tendonitis, that is not getting better despite treating it properly? Sports medicine doctors can help with this roadblock to your recovery by performing specialized injections. They have specialized training and skills in performing procedures, often including high tech equipment such as ultrasound visualization to increase the accuracy and effectiveness of injections.
Sports Injury Prevention:
Do you have an injury that is recurrent and chronic? Sports medicine doctors are ideally suited to help you in figuring out a plan to prevent recurrent and chronic injuries. By assessing movement patterns and identifying risk factors, sports medicine doctors can help you prevent injuries before they occur. They offer advice on proper technique (e.g., running gait), equipment (e.g, bike set up and seat height), and conditioning programs (e.g., how to progress training effectively but safely) tailored to your individual needs.
Treatment of Osteoarthritis:
The skills and knowledge of a sports medicine doctor lend well to treating your osteoarthritis. Sports medicine doctors will accurately diagnose the severity and unique features that could impact on the effective treatment of OA. Your sports medicine doctor will be able to provide advice about many ways to decrease your OA pain and disability including strengthening, weight loss, activity modification, physio and other types of therapy, medications, supplements, bracing, injections and surgery.
Treatment of Non-Musculoskeletal Sports Conditions:
Although the majority of injuries and conditions treated by a sports medicine doctor involve the musculoskeletal system (e.g., sprains and strains of ligaments, tendons and muscles), sports medicine doctors are ideally suited to treat non-musculoskeletal conditions such as concussions, exercise-induced cardiac disorders, heat illness, overtaining syndromes, exercise-induced asthma, athlete-related eating disorders, gastrointestinal problems related to exercise, athlete skin problems, and exercise-related mental health conditions. Sports medicine doctors also play a lead role in providing prescription for exercise for those who are just starting to exercise or in need of returning to exercise following illness or injury.
Athletic Performance Enhancement:
Sports medicine doctors help athletes and active individuals improve their performance in multiple ways. help you to optimize training regimens by giving advice about the type, intensity and frequency of exercise and athletic conditioning. They also provide expert assessment of your biomechanics that could contribute to performance (e.g., finding gluteal weakness in a basketball player to not only prevent injury but to improve jumping ability). Sports medicine doctors also address other issues that could hinder your athletic performance such as training recovery, sleep, nutrition, supplements, medication interactions, and travel.
Return-to-Play Decisions:
Sports medicine doctors are able to provide expert advice on how and when to return to your sport or activity after injury. responsible for making informed decisions about when an athlete can safely return to their sport or activity. This involves evaluating the readiness of the injured area and ensuring that the athlete is fully prepared to resume their activities without risking further injury.
What is a Pediatric Sports Medicine Doctor?
Have you ever wondered whether your children’s sports injuries are different from your own adult concerns? Just like your family doctor will sometimes enlist the help of a pediatrician to treat your child’s medical problems, sometimes your child or teenager will benefit form the specialized assessment and treatment from a pediatric sports medicine doctor. A pediatric sports medicine physician is a medical specialist who focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sports-related injuries and conditions in children and adolescents. Their expertise is tailored to the unique physiological, developmental, and emotional needs of younger athletes.
Here’s are the key parts of their role:
Specialized Knowledge:
The injuries that occur in children are often different from adults, or at least have particular variations that can impact on treatment and recovery. Pediatric sports medicine doctors are trained to diagnose that specific types of injuries and conditions that commonly affect young athletes, such as growth plate injuries, overuse injuries, and sports-specific issues that arise during the developmental years. For example, children are often afflicted by overuse injuries that occur during periods of rapid growth of their bones. In addition, at certain ages, hip problems can occur which have lifelong effects if not identified and treated early.
Developmental Considerations:
Because a child’s body undergoes often rapid changes during their growth and development, these developmental changes can have important effects on their athletic abilities and on the injuries that they sustain. A Pediatric sports medicine doctors understands the growth and development patterns of children and adolescents, which is crucial for managing injuries that can affect growing bones and joints differently than in adults.
Injury Prevention:
Pediatric sports medicine doctors emphasize preventive strategies tailored to the needs of young athletes, including proper training techniques, conditioning, and education on safe sports practices to reduce the risk of injury.
Rehabilitation and Recovery:
Pediatric sports medicine doctors are very knowledgeable regarding the rehabilitation programs needed for treatment and full recovery from athletic injuries in children and adolescents. They take into consideration the physical and emotional needs of children and adolescents, ensuring a safe and effective recovery process.
Education and Advocacy:
They often work with parents, coaches, and schools to educate about injury prevention, appropriate training regimens, and recognizing signs of overuse or other issues. For example, pediatric sports medicine doctors have been integral in promoting concussion prevention in children and development treatment protocols that focus on their particular needs. They also advocate for the safe participation of children in sports.
Overall, their role is crucial in helping young athletes achieve their best performance while ensuring their health and safety are prioritized.
Need Help?
FAQs
Here are the most frequently asked question on our Sports Medicine services.
What is "Sport Medicine?"
Sport Medicine is more appropriately called “Sport and Exercise Medicine” or even “Activity Medicine” because it applies to many different types of people who are active – not just competitive athletes. Sport Medicine is a focused area of medicine that involves the diagnosis and treatment physical activity-related injuries and conditions. For example, sport medicine encompasses injuries to muscles, tendons, nerves, ligaments, bones and joints, as well as conditions such as exercise-induced asthma, osteoarthritis and post-concussion syndrome. Sports Medicine is especially concerned with non-surgical treatment approaches and requires in-depth understanding of anatomy, biomechanics, nutrition, exercise physiology, exercise technique, exercise prescription, as well as psychology and internal medicine. Sport Medicine also encompasses treatment modalities such as specialized injections.
In Canada, how do I know who qualifies as a Sport Medicine Specialist?
To be a Sport Medicine Doctor in Ontario, you must first be a Medical Doctor registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Most sport medicine doctors are Family Doctors who have specialized training and certification in the field of sport and exercise medicine. However, other sport medicine doctors have a background as Pediatricians, Physiatrists or Orthopedic Surgeons. Specialized training for a sports medicine doctor ideally involves post-graduate year of residency training (or “fellowship”) specific to sport medicine. Sport Medicine certification includes the rigorous practical examination administered by the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM). If a doctor successfully completes this exam, he or she will gain the designation of “Diploma of Sport and Exercise Medicine” after his or her name, abbreviated as “Dip SEM”. Also, the College of Family Physicians of Canada offers a Certificate of Added Competency in Sport and Exercise Medicine (shown by the designation of “CCFP (SEM)” after the physician’s name. In addition, the Ontario Ministry of Health offers a review process in which they allow qualified doctors to describe their practice as being a “Focused Practice in Sport and Exercise Medicine”.
Can anyone besides a medical doctor say that they practice Sport Medicine?
No. Physiotherapists can say that they are “Sport Physiotherapists” who diagnose and treat “Sport Injuries” or that they offer “Sport Physiotherapy.” They must follow their provincial colleges’ rules on making these kinds of claims. Chiropractors can say that they are “Sport Chiropractors” and must follow their provincial colleges’ rules on making these claims. However, if you claim to be a “Sport Medicine Doctor” in Canada, you must be a Medical Doctor (designated by an MD beside your name) and you should have the “Dip SEM” credential as recognized by the Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine, and/or additional credentials as described above. Any credible clinic that says it offers “Sport Medicine” services should have a medical doctor with the appropriate credential and training working at its facility.
Does GRSM offer Sport Medicine consultation?
Yes. GRSM offers Sport Medicine consultations. Our Sport Medicine Doctors have been certified by the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM), and have appropriate additional certifications from their regulatory organizations.
Do I need a referral? Should I go to my family Physician?
Under most circumstances, a sport medicine doctor at GRSM require a referral from a family medicine physician, general practitioner, emergency medicine doctor or other physician. GRSM sport medicine doctors greatly value the opinion of the referring physician as well as the supporting information that is provided in the referral (e.g., most family physicians send a comprehensive background about the patient’s medical history and tests/investigations which could have a significant impact on the patient’s treatment). Also, the referring physician plays a very important role in determining whether or not the patient’s condition is appropriate to be assessed by a sports medicine doctor.
For consultations with the orthopaedic surgeon, a referral from another physician is always required.
How do I book an appointment?
Appointments may be made in person or by calling (519) 622-4529 (Cambridge) or (519) 571-7111 (Kitchener-South) or (519) 804-9164 (Kitchener-Downtown). Please give us at least 24-hours notice if you need to cancel.
What is a sport injury?
We define a sport injury as any injury or condition that prohibits you from participating in your regular sport, fitness or recreational activity. You may or may not have become injured during your activity. Work-related injuries are not sport injuries.
What is an acute/chronic injury?
An acute injury is an injury that has occurred within 24 hours. A Chronic injury is an injury that may have occurred weeks, months or years in the past. By quickly managing an injury in the acute stage, you may be able to avoid chronic complications.
Services
Our mission is to help athletes and active individuals achieve their sports and exercise goals!