John Drawbert, M.D.

Office Location: Chippewa Valley Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Phone Numbers: 1-800-322-1747

Medical School: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Sports medicine is the multi-disciplinary specialty concerned with the requirements of athletes and other physically active individuals. The discipline not only focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of injuries that occur as a result of athletic activity but also on the role of exercise as a modality in preventative medicine. Sports medicine may involve the care of athletes with special needs. These athletes may include adolescents, the elderly, and the disabled.

Sports medicine specialists undergo extensive training in musculoskeletal medicine, which allows them to be better prepared to manage problems that arise from athletics. They specialize in the nonoperative medical treatment of these injuries, which represents the majority of sports injuries. It is estimated that more than 90% of all sports related injuries do not require surgery.

Common problems include acute injuries such as ankle and knee sprains, muscle strains, and shoulder dislocations, and overuse injuries such as tendonitis and stress fractures.