An emergency physician is a doctor who is an expert in handling conditions of an urgent and extremely dangerous nature. These specialists work in the emergency room (ER) departments of hospitals where they oversee cases involving cardiac distress, trauma, fractures, lacerations and other acute conditions.Emergency physicians are specially trained to make urgent life-saving decisions to treat patients during an emergency medical crisis. These doctors diagnose and stabilize patients before they are either well enough to be discharged, or transferred to the appropriate department for long-term care.

A family practitioner is a doctor who specializes in caring for people of all ages, at all stages of life. Rather than focusing on the treatment of one disease or patient population, family practitioners are often the doctors that people see for their everyday ailments, like cold and flu or respiratory infections, and health screenings. When necessary, family practitioners will provide referrals for conditions that require the expertise of another specialist.The doctors may also provide physicals, inoculations, prenatal care, treat chronic diseases, like diabetes and asthma, and provide advice on disease prevention.

A geriatric specialist is a physician who treats the elderly population and the conditions that most commonly affect them. These doctors have special training in the effects of aging on the body and mind of a patient. Geriatric specialists treat common ailments faced by senior citizens, such as frailty, incontinence, memory problems, arthritis, senility, decreased functioning and more. In addition, geriatric specialists keep abreast of the different medications that an elderly person is prescribed to treat their more complex health issues in order to decrease adverse side effects and avoid dangerous drug interactions.

Hand surgeons are certified surgeons who are also experts in the function and structure of your wrists, hands and forearms. This allows them to treat arthritis, carpal tunnel, trigger finger and tennis elbow, most of which tend to result from repetitive and excessive use of the corresponding joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Hand surgeons also commonly work with patients who have fractures or broken bones from any kind of accident. If you're experiencing any kind of general pain in your hand, wrist or forearm that isn't going away, a hand surgeon is probably your best resource.

Orthopedic reconstructive surgeons deal with injuries and deformities of your bones and muscles. If you ever need a hip, knee or shoulder replacement — whether due to a sports injury or aging — an orthopedic surgeon will consult with you and answer any questions you have before scheduling an operation. After surgery, you’ll have a few checkups to ensure everything heals properly. In addition to shoulders, hips and knees, they deal with injuries everywhere from your ankles and feet to your elbows and hands — and even your spine. They also help treat birth defects related to bones and muscles as well as degenerative conditions like osteoporosis and muscular dystrophy.

If you have a back injury or unexplained back pain, your doctor might refer you first to a radiologist and then to an orthopedic spinal surgeon. They specialize in the spine and can diagnose and treat spinal diseases such as scoliosis. They can also treat spinal injuries such as a displaced disc or a fracture, as well as disc degeneration and narrowing that occurs due to aging. However, when your injury or condition affects the spinal canal or spinal cord, it’s typically better to consult with a neurosurgeon. It's worth noting that, while they're both referred to as surgeons, they can also recommend treatments that don't require an operation, such as non-surgical decompression therapy.

An orthopaedic surgeon is a physician who specializes in diagnosis and surgical treatment of injuries and disorders involving the musculoskeletal system, such as hip replacements and arthroscopic knee surgery.In addition to treating trauma to the musculoskeletal system, these doctors also deal with sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.

A sports medicine specialist is a physician who is trained to diagnose and treat injuries and conditions caused by participation in athletic activities.These doctors are generally employed by professional sports teams to care for the athletes who are injured. They have extensive knowledge of the types of injuries that athletes are most susceptible to, such as stress fractures, sprains, concussions, muscle cramps, ACL injuries, and shin splints.It is the responsibility of sports medicine specialist to clear athletes to return to the playing field when they are deemed fit. These doctors also advise athletes on how to avoid injury through proper care of their bodies while training.