Sports medicine is a specialized branch of medicine that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries and conditions related to sports and physical activity. It encompasses a wide range of medical disciplines, including orthopedics, physiotherapy, sports rehabilitation, sports psychology, nutrition, and exercise physiology.
The field of sports medicine is not limited to professional athletes. It caters to individuals of all ages and levels of physical activity, including recreational athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and those engaged in physically demanding jobs. The primary goal of sports medicine is to help individuals maintain optimal health, prevent injuries, enhance performance, and facilitate a safe return to activity after an injury.
Sports medicine professionals are trained to evaluate and manage various sports-related injuries, including sprains, strains, fractures, dislocations, ligament tears, muscle tears, and overuse injuries. They use advanced diagnostic techniques, such as imaging studies and physical examinations, to accurately diagnose and treat these conditions.
Treatment in sports medicine may involve a combination of non-surgical interventions, such as physical therapy, rehabilitation exercises, medications, and sports-specific training programs. In cases where surgical intervention is necessary, sports medicine surgeons utilize minimally invasive techniques whenever possible to facilitate faster recovery and minimize scarring.
Sports medicine also emphasizes the importance of injury prevention through education and proper training techniques. Sports medicine professionals provide guidance on warm-up exercises, stretching routines, strength and conditioning programs, and injury prevention strategies tailored to specific sports or physical activities.
Furthermore, sports medicine encompasses the management of sports-related medical conditions, including exercise-induced asthma, cardiac conditions, heat-related illnesses, and concussions. It also addresses issues related to sports performance optimization, nutrition, sports psychology, and doping prevention.
The aim of sports medicine is to develop and deploy treatment modality with minimal morbidity (restriction of activity), quickest recovery and fullest rehabilitation to normal state of the individual.
The clinic covers and advises on injuries arising either directly or indirectly from physical activity, sports, fitness training or related events. This includes all soft tissue and bony problem i.e all musculo skeletal problems like pain, clicking, locking, giving way, weakness, instability, cartilage, ligament and tendon injuries of all major joints like knee, shoulder, ankle, elbow, wrist and hip.
The treatment modality includes the minimal intervention arthroscopic endoscopic surgery (also known by another common name like - Keyhole surgery and Telescopic Surgery) which leaves behind a small scar, good cosmesis, independent walking the same day, less pain and early returns to work, usually within 5-6 days.
The clinic is manned by a surgeons trained in UK, USA and Singapore in sports surgery, sports specific physiotherapist, orthotist and back up of fully equipped physiotherapy gym is available. The clinic is supported by all other specialities, especially vascular surgery, neurology and radiology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
People and athletes training and preparing for certain events can benefit from pre-event advice and counselling. This would help with goal specific training, monitor body status (fat & lean mass). Nutrition and food supplements advice for athletes is available along with advice on banned substances and drug abuse & dope testing.
General fitness advice is available for all age groups. Also medical fitness assessment before joining gym is available on a regular basis in order to prevent any injuries, followed by regular assessment for monitoring the progress made.
Game specific advice is also available with pre season tips to enhance fitness and prevent injuries in order to achieve peak performance.