Put simply it is the management of medical conditions that impact on exercise, or the use of physical activity to treat medical problems. This could mean anything from an injury incurred playing sport (like a torn ACL) to a chronic condition that hinders a patient's ability to be active (like osteoarthritis or heart disease).  

While you may be familiar with injury diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal problems, more recently there is a growing recognition that prescribing exercise (as a treatment strategy) can play an important role in the prevention and treatment of chronic conditions (including cancer, heart disease, osteoarthritis, asthma and diabetes).

They are a specialist medical practitioner with expertise in general medicine, orthopaedics, radiology and rehabilitation plus allied sport sciences including nutrition, biomechanics, exercise physiology and sports psychology. They have expertise in:

• Providing an accurate diagnosis of musculoskeletal injuries.
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• Addressing the causes, treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries and medical problems related to physical activity and sport.
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• Leadership for multidisciplinary teams and organisations dealing with athletes and those wishing to exercise.
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• Promotion of health for all stages of life through the appropriate use of exercise and physical activity.
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• Safe and effective use of physical activity in treating musculoskeletal injuries and many chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, mental illness and cancer.
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• Sport and exercise issues with adolescents, younger people, pregnancy and those with a disability.
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• The appropriate use of medications and supplements in sport.
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They have extensive experience looking after elite athletes and apply these principles to the management of all patients, whether they are recreational athletes, manual workers or those with chronic diseases simply wanting to safely increase their activity levels.