Advanced Centre For Sports Medicine at Fortis Hospital Bangalore

What is Sports Medicine?

Sports medicine is a field of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of any sport or exercise-related injuries and illnesses. Sports injuries can be highly-debilitating and can force affected individuals to take time out for an indefinite period of time. This could even ruin the career of a promising individual if the right treatment isn’t administered on time. Which is why the ultimate goal of sports medicine is to help people understand how they can overcome and prevent such injuries. Further, sports medicine experts/physicians can also provide individuals on how to engage in safe exercise and how they can achieve their training goals effectively without any injuries.

In addition, besides managing injuries, Sports Medicine also focuses on dealing with any mental and emotional needs of athletes with the aid of certified sports psychologists. They help in preparing individuals for any high-level sporting events or competition by helping them learn how to focus. They are also equipped to help individuals overcome any emotional blocks that can lead to performance anxiety through psychotherapy and stress management. Sports medicine, thus, can help individuals manage their emotional and physical condition while they are actively pursuing excellence.

In most cases, people who seek the help of Sports Medicine include:

• Individuals who like to exercise regularly in order to keep fit by going on jogs, cycling etc. and seek respite from niggling injuries which have caused hindrance to their active lifestyle.

• Athletes and competitive sportspersons who seek advice on how to maintain optimum fitness levels and are looking to prevent injuries.

• Athletes or sports/fitness enthusiasts who are about to commence an exercise program or about to start a new sport and need advice on adopting the correct techniques.

• Individuals suffering from chronic conditions or disorders who are in need of treatment or advice. For instance, people suffering from obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary artery disease, dyslipidemia, fatty liver, and other conditions who wish to change their lifestyle and lead a healthier way of living.

• Individuals suffering from recurring injuries or illnesses related to participating in sports or physical activities and are seeking respite to put an end to their ordeal.

Fortis Centre for Sports Orthopaedics & Arthroscopy

Sports injuries can be termed as a specific type of injuries which usually affect athletes. These injuries can occur during routine training sessions, at major sporting events or even while doing a simple warm-up. More often than not, sports-related injuries are as a result of over-exertion or pushing the body beyond the limits when participating in a certain activity. A common sport-related injury is the tennis elbow which can occur owing to constant stress exerted due to over-use of the elbow. Another common condition is the runner’s knee which can be caused due to over-use of the knee or even a direct hit to the knee resulting in immense pain behind and around the knee cap. They could even include a variety of common ailments including sprains, stress fractures, bruises, strains, nose injuries, cuts and abrasions, broken bones, joint injuries, torn ligament or tendons, concussions, nose bleeds amongst others.

Acute and Chronic Injuries

Sports injuries can be classified into two distinct types: acute and chronic. When an injury occurs suddenly to a particular region – without any previous history of injuries to that part – then it’s termed as an acute injury. Acute injuries are usually one-offs and could be characterized as tearing or bruising of a muscle during an exercise, a sprained ankle or knee due to an awkward movement, cracking of a bone etc. Unlike chronic injuries, the symptoms of an acute injury usually start showing up within a few days of the occurrence of the injury. This is because, during the acute phase, our body often tends to use inflammation to repair the tissues which might have been damaged.

Symptoms of an acute injury include:

• Swelling to the affected area

• Extreme soreness or tenderness in the affected limb

• A sudden bout of excruciating pain

• Extreme weakness in the affected limb

• Inability to move a joint or place weight on the lower limb

• Visible dislocation in the area affected

• Breakage of a bone

A chronic injury, on the other hand, is an injury that is as a result of repeated or prolonged use of muscle groups or joints. This could be attributed particularly to injuries sustained while performing endurance sports such as running, swimming, and cycling. Chronic injuries are caused because of excessive fatigue or an over-use of a single body part while playing a sport or exercising over a period of time.

The primary distinguishing factor when it comes to chronic injuries is that most people don't even realize the severity of an injury. For instance, an innocuous-looking sprain in the ankle might actually be a bone fracture.

Signs of a chronic injury include:

• Pain when indulging or performing an activity

• Swelling in the affected area

• A dull, lingering ache which refuses to go away

This is why a medical investigation into sport-related injuries is crucial as leaving an injury untreated can have far-reaching consequences on a player’s long-term health as the injury could turn out to be more severe than previously thought.

Treatment & Diagnosis

No matter what kind of an injury or pain you must have suffered while playing sports, at Fortis, we have the right doctors along with state-of-the-art treatment facilities to ensure that you keep doing from the activities you love. We are here to help you get back to your daily routine by providing world-class care and treatment for all types of acute and chronic sports-related injuries.

We are renowned to be experts in surgical and non-surgical sports injury treatment and known to handle several thousand cases annually. From acute injuries such as torn ligaments, fractures, sprains and ruptured tendons to chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis, bursitis etc., our multi-disciplinary teams cover them all. Further, we even specialize in minimally invasive and non-invasive procedures including arthroscopic surgery.

Our suggested treatment depends on the initial diagnosis. Depending on the nature and the severity of the injury, we focus on identifying the root cause so that any recurrences can be avoided. We offer the most advanced treatment options followed by intensive rehabilitation to ensure that your injury heals and function is restored to the affected area as soon as possible. We direct all our energies to ensure that you get back to your pre-injury level of activity by suggesting the apt corrective measures to rectify the underlying issue. The goal is to promote strength and flexibility and ensure that you not only recover but go back to performing even better than before you were struck with the injury. At Fortis, we firmly believe in relieving the underlying cause and not just the symptoms so that you can get long-term relief and go back to meeting the challenges of your busy lives.

Leading Specialists in Sports Medicine

At Fortis, we are proud to have on board, certified & professional sports medicine physicians who are ranked as the best in their fields. With years of experience coupled with specialized training, they are well versed with diagnosing, treating, and preventing any sports-related injury or illness to amateur and professional athletes. Our world-class team of sports medicine specialists comprises of Orthopedic Surgeons, Physicians, Massage Therapists, Sports Physiotherapists & Psychologists, Podiatrists, Dieticians, Sports Science Specialists in addition to Strength and Conditioning experts.

Besides focusing on the medical aspects, our experts also consider the functional and therapeutic aspects of exercise and thereon, provide proper advice and corresponding treatment to help improve their levels of performance. We also have nutritionists who can help by giving tips on proper nutrition and weight management in relation to exercise. We work closely with all our patients and tailor our treatments specifically for our patients – without prolonged or unnecessary care – so that they gain access to the highest quality and personalized care at all times. From the moment you step into our facilities, we are confident that our contemporary, sports medicine techniques will provide the best clinical outcomes so that you can return to your athletic endeavours quickly, and at peak performance.