The promotion of fitness, clean living and a healthy diet has never been promoted more than it is today, and it is active across all forms of media. The success of promoting being self-aware of our well being has led to all generations, the old and the young, becoming more physically active. Of course, this is all to the good.
More and more people are using fitness equipment, at the gym or at home. Walk through any town or city and you can be sure to see people of all ages jogging and youngsters playing sports, such as basketball and football, in parks or dedicated courts and sports fields.
Sports and physical exercise have many positive effects on the body, such as helping to lower blood pressure and improve the health of the heart. It maintains and improves muscle strength and can help to reduce joint pains and stiffness. One of the most obvious, and most common reasons for physical exercise, is weight loss while it also promotes better sleep patterns and can reduce anxiety and depression.
Scientific studies also show that physical exercise improves memory and brain function across all age groups. Studies also show that it helps to protect an individual from many chronic disease and cancer related fatigue. All of which helps to increase a person’s life span. Additionally, the “Feel Good” factor alone should never be understated in the pursuit of a healthy body.
So, with only positives to be found in physical exercise, what could possibly go wrong? Well, the number of injuries, both minor and major, resulting from physical activities, contact sports being the biggest contributor, are astonishing. In America, in one year alone, 3.5 million children received medical attention as a result of injuries sustained through sports activities.
It is also known that sports and recreational activities account for around 21% of brain trauma injuries in children. So, something that can do us so much good can also be detrimental, in varying degrees, to our overall fitness and wellbeing. Any injury sustained during physical exercise should be professionally assessed.
Samitivej Hospital recognizes the risks associated with physical activity and the unique forms of treatment that the injuries require. It is with this in mind that the hospital developed their Arthroscopic Surgery and Sports Orthopedic Center (ASSOC). This is a facility dedicated to the treatment of sports and physical activity injuries.
Common Injuries Treated at ASSOC
All treatment schedules and programs are individually designed to suit each patient’s medical needs. This individual patient approach to treatment is vital, as similar injuries can affect different people in different ways, and every person’s body will respond differently to differing treatment methodology.
Twisted, sprained and dislocated joints are common place, as are inflamed and torn ligaments. Tendonitis and achilles tendonitis are also regular treated at the ASSOC. Obviously, broken and fractured bones make up a large proportion of the injuries that are successfully treated at Samitivej Hospital.
Head injuries, most common in contact sports, can be extremely serious, physical damage can be caused to the hearing, eyesight, eye sockets, the jaw and teeth. Concussion, temporary unconsciousness or conscious in a confused state, is common and must be monitored closely due to the unpredictable nature of the condition.
Treatment at the ASSOC
Initially, following admission with a sports injury, patients will undergo a close assessment of their injury and any symptoms that may not be obviously related to it. This will take place in one of the centers modern, fully equipped assessment suites.
It is here that a high level of diagnostic skill combines with technology to ascertain and pin point the exact nature and extent of an injury. Orthopedic diagnostics utilizes technology such as X-ray, ultrasound and MRI scanning, each of which is essential in accurate injury assessment.
Following the extensive assessment and diagnosis an individualized treatment plan can be developed by an in-house doctor experienced in treating sports related injuries. The doctor will be in overall charge of a patient’s treatment and is supported by highly qualified nursing personnel.
Treatment plans are tailor made and will very likely be a combination of treatments. Many injuries require only non-surgical treatment. This could be as simple as oral medication which specifically targets the point of injury. Other non-surgical treatments include physical therapy, joint injections and intravenous medication.
Surgical procedures, such as arthroscopic surgery, may be undertaken to correct joint problems. Theses may include, damaged cartilages, removing fragments of bone or cartilage, the repair of torn ligaments or correcting carpal tunnel syndrome. This type of surgery is also utilized for knee, hip and shoulder replacement procedures, which are becoming ever more common.
At Samitivej Hospital’s ASSOC, treatment also comes in the form of expert advice. Skilled professionals guide and advise patients of the ideal physical activities for each individual to undertake in order to maintain health and fitness. Sound guidance is invaluable to anyone wishing to improve their overall health through sports and physical activity.
Post Treatment From ASSOC
Following successful treatment from a sports or physical activity related injury, a detailed rehabilitation program is essential to round off the healing process. Depending on the severity of the injury, rehabilitation may begin by being conducted during the patient’s stay in hospital, and then continue after the patient has been discharged.
For less sever injuries a patient will very often be able to conduct their own rehabilitation at home by following the detailed guidance and exercise plan designed for them by one of the centers doctors qualified in rehabilitation medicine. It is also possible that rehabilitation is a combination of self-therapy at home and as an out patient at the ASSOC.
Just as with anything in life, there are two sides to every coin. As everyone around the world becomes more health and fitness conscious the instances of the related injuries rise, as does the importance and reliance of dedicated centers of treatment.
From ASSOC’s surgeons, physical therapists, sports medicine doctors, qualified nurses and dedicated support staff, to the cutting-edge technology and modern procedural techniques, every patient is in the best possible hands with Samitivej Hospital. This is bourn out by the increasing numbers of individuals from across the globe that have benefitted from the ASSOC’s approach to the treatment of sports and physical activity injuries.
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