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Sports medicine: the defensible 'alternative'
1Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
The Physician and Sportsmedicine
|January 21, 2010
Summary
Sports medicine utilizes guiding metaphors emphasizing health and performance, appealing to patients like alternative therapies but grounded in scientific evidence. This approach enhances and preserves human functional capacity throughout life.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Medical Humanities
- Philosophy of Science
Background:
- Scholars use
- metaphors
- or
- paradigms
- to describe guiding mental structures.
- These structures influence interpretation, priorities, and interactions.
- Sports medicine employs metaphors focused on health, functional capacity, and human performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the underlying metaphors in sports medicine.
- To compare the appeal of sports medicine metaphors to complementary and alternative therapies.
- To highlight the scientific foundation of sports medicine.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of sports medicine literature.
- Comparative analysis of patient appeal.
- Examination of scientific underpinnings.
Main Results:
- Sports medicine metaphors emphasize enhancing and preserving health and performance.
- These metaphors resonate with patients similarly to complementary and alternative therapies.
- Sports medicine is scientifically validated, unlike many alternative therapies.
Conclusions:
- The metaphors guiding sports medicine are powerful and appealing.
- Sports medicine offers a scientifically sound approach to health and performance.
- Understanding these metaphors can improve patient engagement and understanding.
