In 2024, 3.7 million individuals received treatment from emergency departments for injuries related to sports and recreational activities, according to the National Safety Council.
Every one of these could potentially be career-ending, especially if it doesn’t receive professional care from a sports medicine expert. However, this is not the only role such an individual might take up during their career.
Below is a list of benefits from this type of treatment, going beyond simple injury treatment into how it can even boost existing abilities further than before.
Improved Performance
Sports medicine combines medical training and athletic knowledge to boost an athlete’s capabilities using the scientific method to empower an individual or team. The process focuses on developing personalised care for the recipients by maximising their athletic potential in areas such as stamina, strength, flexibility, recovery time, as well as physical and mental health support.
Another important aspect of this type of training is the ability to generate a tailored nutritional plan for someone’s individual dietary needs. When aligned with their athletic goals and capabilities, it can help improve their energy levels and ensure they can maintain their training regimen as long as they need to perform it.
Accelerated Rehabilitation
An athletic injury has significant potential to be debilitating. In some cases, it can cause long-term harm, including chronic discomfort or even an inability to perform athletically.
Sports medicine specialists can prevent the worst of these issues by working with an athlete to develop a specialised recovery strategy. Doing this will likely dramatically reduce downtime, enabling athletes to return to their previous activity faster than without.
Injury Prevention
A sports medicine specialist’s role is to advise athletes on the best ways to avoid future injuries. They will tailor these strategies around a full risk assessment of an athlete’s abilities and habits, determining their unique vulnerabilities so that they can offer insights into how to remain safe and healthy.
Physiotherapy Benefits
When an athlete is undergoing any form of discomfort, a physiotherapist can work with them to target specific areas of their body to ensure they receive the right therapy.