Health according to the WHO is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. In athletes, the pillars for maintaining their health include a balanced diet, their physical activity and training, rest, and even their mental health (sports psychology). This benefits the entire development of athletes for performance, injury prevention, and mood.

In health care there is something called a “check-up” or clinical examination that usually includes a complete physical exam and laboratory tests to evaluate the patient’s condition and prevent diseases. There are different types of check-ups, the basic one, the advanced one that includes more diagnostic tests depending on the patient’s gender and age, the pediatric one, check-ups by medical specialty, such as the gynecological one, and finally the sports-medical check-up.

A sports medical check-up is like the one mentioned above, however, the examination and tests are directed towards the sport that the person already practices or the sport that they want to start doing. The importance of this check-up is to determine whether the exercise is safe for the patient before beginning physical activity. In some countries like the United States, this is mandatory, even for young athletes and children to be able to participate in a sport.

The check-up can usually include a consult with the sports medicine doctor, blood tests, imaging tests, a stress test or electrocardiogram, a footprint analysis, and a nutritional assessment. This helps prevent injuries, complications, and illness. It also keeps the athlete in balance between his physical and mental health. Not to mention, they get a trusted medical specialist who can guide them through their progress.

During the end of the year there are more resting days and vacations, even for athletes. Therefore, it is essential to start the year with a sports medical check-up to ensure that you are in adequate physical condition to carry out rigorous exercise.

If it is your first time doing a sport or you are an athlete who is returning to the routine, do not hesitate to schedule an appointment, Olympia has everything you need for your complete and comprehensive care.

Currently there are different types of new and alternative treatments, among them you have probably heard of stem cell therapy. Stem cells are cells with the ability to become specialized cells (muscle, brain, bone, blood cells, etc.) as well as being able to regenerate and repair tissues.

Thanks to their potential to transform into specific cells, stem cells have been used for different types of therapies. Among them for the treatment of neurodegenerative, blood and heart diseases, and within regenerative medicine to treat osteoarticular afflictions.

Stem cells are injected into different sites around the injury and damaged tissue to produce an inflammatory reaction that stimulates local healing, increases tissue vascularity, and signals cell recruitment, helping ligaments, tendons, and joint cartilage to heal.

This treatment is used to treat chronic pain, joint diseases, and is most recommended for serious injuries such as severe tears, advanced osteoarthritis, and damage to the menisci in the knee. It is also indicated for the following benefits: joint stability, to slow down or reverse the progress of the damage, improvement in movement, and in some cases try to avoid surgery.

Before starting treatment, a complete clinical history and examination will be carried out, as well as complementary studies to find out if you are a candidate for treatment. It is essential to go to a specialist doctor with experience in these treatments, who will indicate if it is possible to perform it and how many therapy sessions are necessary. It is a safe and fast treatment that can be performed in the office and is an outpatient procedure, the patient does not need to be admitted. In addition, an improvement in pain of more than 85% has been reported, obviously the results depend on the age of the patient, their general state of health, type and degree of injury.

If you think you are a candidate for this therapy, do not hesitate to seek medical advice.

Physiotherapy is a very essential discipline in the health field aimed at the prevention and treatment of injuries and dysfunctions of the movement of our body to maintain or restore a patient’s physical condition.

So, what is the role of a physical therapist?

The physiotherapist is a professional in charge of carrying out a therapy plan and carrying out the treatment through exercise and physical therapy methods such as electrotherapy, cryotherapy, hydrotherapy, among others. In the same way, they should promote and educate healthy habits about our posture and activities.

It is also important to know that not all physical therapists are the same, just like other health professionals, physical therapists also have different areas of specialization. Among them are the sports, neurological, respiratory, geriatric, and pediatric physiotherapists.

The type of physiotherapist who will oversee our care will depend on our needs and diagnosis. Physiotherapy is currently necessary not only to treat any discomfort or injury, but as mentioned above for the prevention and maintenance of our musculoskeletal system.

An example of this is lumbago (low back pain) which is one of the main reasons for consultation worldwide, usually caused by long working hours where the person is sitting most of the time; a physical therapist can help decrease pain and prevent future injuries.

In the case of athletes, going to therapy even without presenting any pain is recommended to improve their joint strength and flexibility.

If you need to go to physical therapy, you now understand the importance of it and the duties of a physical therapist. The next thing you need to know is why it is important to have a trustworthy one.

What are the benefits of having a trusted physiotherapist?

The first reason is to establish a good professional relationship for better communication so that the patient can express their concerns and expectations, the physiotherapist will know your medical history in detail and will know all your needs, they will only provide the essential therapies for your recovery, and you will have a safe space for your treatment.

Before going to physiotherapy, it is necessary to go to a medical consultation to rule out any complications or serious injury. Depending on the diagnosis, on some occasions, a comprehensive treatment will be provided together with the doctor and the physiotherapist. If you present any injury, chronic pain, difficulty in your mobility or any other muscular problem, go for a check-up.

Medical school lasts approximately 4 to 7 years (depending on the country), after which doctors have the option of continuing their studies by studying a medical specialty, which consists of different branches and completion time. However, many people may still have doubts about the work of each specialist and their differences. An example of this is the confusion between an orthopedic traumatologist and a sports medicine doctor.

Let’s start by explaining each one separately. Traumatology and orthopedics fall within the surgical specialties and focuse on the study, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system such as congenital diseases, fractures, dislocations, degenerative injuries, among others. Their treatments can be pharmacological, with orthopedic devices, or surgical (arthroscopy, reconstruction, amputations, fixations, etc.).

Sports medicine, as its name suggests, specializes in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of injuries caused during physical activity and sports practice. They also have extensive knowledge of the metabolism of athletes and the effects of exercise on the body. One of its main functions is to provide athletes with comprehensive and continuous care to increase their performance and efficiency within their sport, and as mentioned above, to prevent any type of injury. The most common causes of consults are tendinopathies, tears, sprains, and joint injuries; however, the sports doctor also sees athlete pathologies such as heart disorders, altitude sickness, jetlag, over training, muscle imbalances, ergogenic foot changes among so many other things.

These differences in many cases complement each other, for example, an athlete with a fracture that requires surgery or a patient seeking alternative and less invasive therapies.

If you are an athlete and have suffered an injury, it is best to go to a sports medicine doctor for a personalized examination based on the sport you practice for a prompt and effective recovery, maintaining your sports performance.