In today’s modern world every aspect of our lives seem to be under a microscope. Among other things, this has resulted in us dissecting and questioning our lifestyles. As a consequence of this, everyone has become more health conscious than ever before. Healthy living through diet and exercise has now become the life mantra for millions of people across the world.
Adopting a healthy diet will, almost immediately, bring about health benefits at no risk to the individual. However, the same cannot be said for physical exercise. Undertaking some form of physical exercise is essential for good health, but does come with risks. Activities adopted to improve general health and wellbeing can, in themselves, be the catalyst of innumerable negative health issues.
In the U.S. the Department of Health and Human Services estimate that around 8.6 million Americans are hurt or injured as a result of partaking in physical activities every year. In the United Kingdom, during the first year of the Covid 19 lockdown, medical services reported treatment numbers for exercise-related injuries topped 7 million.
It is also reported that up to one third of people injured through physical exercise suffer ongoing problems as a result of the initial injury. Many of these people suffer in the longer term due to inadequate or ineffective initial treatment, or through a lack of effective post treatment therapy and advice.
Samitivej Hospital understand that the injuries sustained through physical exercise require expert and effective treatment, critical to the ongoing health and wellbeing of the injured party. With this in mind they have established their dedicated Sports and Orthopedic Center in Bangkok. This specialist facility is staffed by no less than 38 doctors, surgeons and rehabilitation therapists who are experts in this particular field of medical care.
Common Injuries Treated at the Sports and Orthopedic Center
The knees, shoulders, ankles and lumbar region are the most common areas where injuries occur during physical exercise. Typical injuries are strains, dislocations, muscle tears and spinal disc issues. These issues are routinely dealt with at the Sports and Orthopedic Center with enviable levels of success.
The knee is the largest joint in the body, and very complex in its structure. The anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate and collateral ligaments are prone to injury during physical exercise. Additionally, meniscal and tendon tears are common, along with fracturing of the patella and dislocation of the knee.
The shoulder is another complex joint where 3 bones come together, the clavicle, the scapula and the humerus. Fractures and dislocations of the shoulder often occur as a result of physical exercise. Also are, sprains and muscle tears, particularly with the rotor cuff muscles. Other problems that can occur in the shoulder as a result of injury are tendonitis and bursitis.
The complex and delicate biomechanics of the ankle leaves it vulnerable injury. Strains and sprains are common place as are numerous tendinopathies. These include issues with the achilles, peroneal, tibialis posterior and tibialis anterior tendons. Due to the complex mechanics of the ankle such injuries need to be addressed by skilled medical professionals.
The spine, and the back in general, is put under varying levels of stress with all physical activities. Strains and tears are common along with disc damage. Slipped discs occur frequently and can often be treated with medication and a personalized therapy plan. However, a slipped disc can be very painful and, in extreme cases, may require a surgical repair, removal or replacement.
Football, weightlifting, racquet sports and jogging are popular activities that result in these common injuries. Often these injuries occur due to over exertion or a lack of warm-up routines prior to exercising. But it is not only activities that are physically demanding that can cause these common injuries. Walkers, although fewer in numbers, also sustain these types of injuries.
The Samitivej Sports and Orthopedic Center are well versed in treating these injuries, along with a plethora of other less common complaints, such as persistent nose bleeds during, or after, exercising. Such complaints need expert diagnosis. As part of a detailed diagnostics program, the medical teams need to assess a sufferer’s overall fitness.
Fitness and Assessment at the Sports and Orthopedic Center
Assessing a patient’s overall fitness is essential as part of the diagnostic process and treatment. The Sports and Orthopedic Center brings together top level medical expertise and science to accurately assess each patient. The use of the most up to date technology now enables more accurate assessment and diagnosis than ever before.
As part of an assessment program the Sports and Orthopedic Center utilize VO2 max, (maximal oxygen consumption), testing. VO2 max ascertains the total amount of oxygen the body utilizes whilst exercising. This is measures as milliliters per kilogram of body weight during 1 minute of physical exercise. This form of test is sometimes referred to as cardiopulmonary exercise testing, (CPET or CPx testing).
Not only does this give accurate information regarding an individual’s VO2 score. It also reveals the metabolism rate, cardiovascular strength and respiratory efficiency of each individual. All of this data is of immense value to the professionals during diagnosis and treatment.
Equally important is the more traditional physical assessment of each patient. Having highly trained medical specialists with the appropriate anatomical knowledge, armed with technologically sourced data, diagnosis at the Sports and Orthopedic Center is unsurpassed.
Treatment at the Sports and Orthopedic Center
With no 2 people being the same and the varying degree of severity of injuries, treatment plans are individually created to suit each patient. The treatment plans would normally consist of a combination of differing forms of treatment, with each plan designed to maximize injury repair, healing and recovery.
Medication, often in the form of pain relief, would be a normal part of any treatment plan. Surgical procedures may be necessary for more severe injuries, such as complex bone fractures, muscle tears and spinal disc repairs. Most surgical procedures can now be undertaken using the endoscopic technique which is less intrusive and shortens recovery time.
Becoming ever more technically advanced is isokinetic therapy. Isokinetic refers to limb movement of a constant speed regardless of the load bearing force upon it. Managed by trained professionals, isokinetics can be of great benefit following surgery, aiding the healing and recovery process.
As part of the rehabilitation process, isokinetics helps to strengthen muscles and tendons after injury and it is common for it to be part of a patient’s treatment program. It also gives accurate analysis of a patient’s recovery progress by evaluating muscle and joint function. Isokinetic treatment programs can be used in the treatment and assessment of shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and ankle injuries.
Not only are people becoming more health aware, but are also becoming equally aware of the need for expert medical treatment and advice for ailments and injury. This is now being found at Samitivej Hospital’s Sports and Orthopedic Center in Bangkok where they are treating more and more people, both indigenous and from across the world with unequalled levels of success and patient care.
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