Family doctors suck. I've never seen a sports medicine doctor so I can't speak to that. I've done my own PT on my knee and for my neck before. The last time I had a knee issue I was sent to physical therapy. The PTs always impress me with correctly diagnosing my problem with physical exam alone. Family doctors don't even attempt to examine an injury from my experience. They just pass the buck. However, this last knee issue I had the PT examine my knee, told me the tendons and ligaments were stable and I had a meniscus issue, but then had me do stability exercises anyway. Felt like a waste of my time and money.
Strength doesn't come from physical capacity. It comes from indomitable will. -Gandhi
You cannot dream yourself into a character. You must hammer and forge yourself into one. -Thoreau
I recommended Physical therapist who works with athletes and is EXPERIENCED!
NEVER a family phys unless for a referral. They will just give you meds and tell you to stop doing your activity.
Sports medicine clinic be my second choice
That's what the doc did for me when I hurt my back doing jiu-jitsu. Pills on pills...Slept for three days, another two working on pills, and then said fuck this and decided to ease back into the gym with no pills. That was the week I started training 6 days a week and that is all she wrote. Been 6 days a week now for a few months and still have the scripts half full somewhere in my house. He didn't even give me a time line or stretches or anything that actually helped besides the pills for the pain.