The Russians were very advanced when it came to not only treatment of an athlete with injuries but also post-treatment and recovery. They did not have the sophisticated equipment that is typically seen in the U.S., but even with their meager equipment, they were capable of doing an excellent job of working with the athletes in competition and training. Russian teams always traveled with a sports medicine doctor and a massage therapist. They did not have a trainer as do American teams. The role of the doctor was to take care of any injuries or problems that arose, although this was shared to a certain extent with the massage practitioner.
One reason why the Russian sports medicine doctors were so successful in their work was that they had to attend a Sports Training Institute (devoted to training coaches) to learn about the sports technique involved and how the athlete trains and what he experiences. Thus, they were deeply immersed in the sport in which they specialized. They were not generalists dealing with athletes from any and all sports even though they could treat most of the common injuries. The Russian sports medicine doctors usually specialized in certain sports and stayed with athletes in those sports. This was especially typical of the doctors who traveled with the professional and amateur teams that were involved in the Olympic Games and in international play. In contrast, most U.S. sports medicine doctors know very little about the intricacies of the sport nor about the training that the athlete typically undergoes. They specialize mainly in the treatment of injuries.