<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-08-14</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000944763</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ENCORE MEDICAL CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>ENMC</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001056642</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>GALEN EMPLOYEE FUND III LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O GALEN ASSOCIATES</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>610 FIFTH AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10020</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><derivativeTable><derivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Warrant to Purchase Common Stock</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>.01</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-08-14</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>2076</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>2003-08-14</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2009-02-08</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>2076</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>2076</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeTransaction></derivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">The warrants were assigned to Galen Employee Fund III, L.P. (&quot;Galen Eff&quot;) by the Issuer's lender pursuant to a pre-existing agreement between Galen Eff and the lender.  The lender had agreed to transfer these warrants if certain events occurred and a specified portion of the indebtedness owed by the Issuer to the lender was prepaid.</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>Bruce F. Wesson, President of Wesson Enterprises, Inc., General Partner of Galen Employee Fund, L.P.</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-12-18</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

