Are you an amateur or professional athlete? Or perhaps your child attends a sports class or as a player of the local team participates in after-school activities? Make sure that doing sport does not pose a risk to you or your child. Do all sports medicine tests and examinations.
Sports medicine is a branch that deals with the health of physically active people: professional athletes and amateurs. Patients benefit from the achievements of sports medicine when they need a diagnosis, treatment and/or rehabilitation in movement disorders, injuries and diseases related to practising sport. It is also worth having a consultation with the specialist when you need reliable advice on nutrition, supplementation or injury prevention.
Sports medicine has a great impact on the planning of training. Thanks to the thorough knowledge of biomechanics and physiology of movement and skilful combination of medical disciplines, sports medicine specialists make an active contribution to the preparation of athletes for competitions and quick recovery after an injury or trauma.
Sports medicine also involves necessary medical certification, e.g. in terms of the ability to practise a given sports discipline, both by beginners and athletes after an injury or trauma experienced during training. Sports medicine also promotes physical activity in key health aspects, including development of training plans and nutrition, as well as detection and combating the use of banned substances.
Sports case law
Sports medicine Warsaw – when to visit a doctor?
The aim of a sports medicine doctor is to work with the athlete, and often also with the coach, to improve their health.
The following will benefit most from the sports medicine services:
- professional athletes – when they need the necessary certificates concerning their current health status and in particular their ability to practise a given sports discipline, e.g. after an injury during training, and when they need an interdisciplinary team to achieve their goals;
- professional and amateur athletes – when they cannot afford to take a long break from training or when they are afraid that it will be impossible for them to practise their sports discipline, e.g. because of an illness and complications suffered after having been ill;
- people who are constantly active – when they exercise intensively (at least 3 times a week) just to feel better and want to monitor their health. Also when they want to recover quickly, e.g. after an injury or when they prepare for demanding amateur sports competitions;
- parents and caregivers of young athletes – when they need reliable information about the health and development of a young athlete;
- people who plan to start to lead a sporty lifestyle – when they want to know the physical capabilities of their body to practise sport safely and without putting their health and life at risk. It will be also beneficial for people with diabetes, lipid disorders, asthma, hypertension or heart diseases;
- people who need a correct diagnosis – in terms of back pain, knee pain and/or rehabilitation and convalescence after surgery or procedures.
A sports medicine doctor should also be a general practitioner in the case of people who are physically active and practise sport.
Sports medicine – what does the visit look like?
Specialist consultations with a sports medicine doctor involves primarily comprehensive history taking. The doctor asks questions to get information about the patient’s lifestyle, including the way the patient practises sport.
The sports medicine doctor also refers the patient for necessary performance tests and general medical examinations. He gives an opinion on the ability to practise a given sports discipline and, if the results indicate a failure in a particular area, it may be a negative one.
If an athlete is qualified to be a player, preliminary examinations and tests are performed:
- ECG test,
- general urine test,
- ESR test,
- CBC test,
- glucose level,
- general medical examination (including oral health),
- anthropometric measurements (fat measurement),
- orthopaedic examination,
- ENT examination,
- vision examination.
And then the patient is referred for periodic examinations and tests: every 6 months, every 12 months and every 2 years.
Sports medicine Warsaw – what about the follow-up?
After each injury or trauma suffered during training, a sports medicine specialist recommends check-ups to decide whether the athlete can continue to practise a given sports discipline without putting their health and life at risk.
Sports medicine Łódź – cooperation with specialists in other fields
A sports medicine doctor cooperates with specialists in other fields: a physiotherapist, psychologist and surgeon, as well as with coaches and dieticians. The sports medicine specialty is interdisciplinary and thus so valuable for professional athletes and people who lead an active/sporty lifestyle.
