The importance of medical checks in sports

Feb 21, 2009 Sports

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Dear Editor:
Fitness and good health are terms which can be readily associated with sport. Recreational Sport can do much to contribute to good health and fitness, and the association between the sport, health and fitness can do much to persuade Government to provide facilities for the playing of Sport.

For the top level and competitive Sportsman and woman, it is vital that the body is healthy and in peak working order despite the extra work and stress that is placed upon it. Therefore, the environment of the medical profession in the preparation for competition is of vital importance. The competitor, before beginning the regime of high intensity training, should have proper checks to ensure that as far as possible, the body is free of rectifiable ailments defects and diseases.

It is important that a proper regime of regular checks are built into the programme of the competitor to monitor his/her general health and condition through such regular checks, defective teeth can be rectified by dental treatment, poor blood condition rectified by diet and supplement, and niggling and chronic soft tissue emperies can be treated through appropriate Physiotherapy.

Inevitably, competitors and Sports people become impaired either through traumatic incidents or through stress placed on the body due to the intensity of the training or competition. It is vital for the competitor after having received the injury, that he/she is rehabilitated in the shortest possible time.

So many potential gold medal winners have failed to even reach the competition arena due to injury and many have not performed to their true potential due to an injury received either near the date of competition or even at a time when it caused serious disruption to their training and preparation. Early diagnosis by soft tissue injury specialists and a proper programme of treatment and rehabilitation is very important.

It is important to remember that the process of bringing the competitor back to full fitness, following an injury is a matter of team work between the doctor, the physiotherapist, the coach and the competitor. It is vitally important that the process of training and fine tuning of a competitor that the coach and the competitor develop good healthy habits. Frequently the doctor, physiotherapist and other medically associated personnel can play a vital role in safe guarding against injury and poor health.

The doctor can advise on correct habits of hygiene, sleep, awareness of travel associated problems, on the significance of Symptoms (imagined or otherwise), the Physiotherapist on the importance of warming up exercises, of stretching and of good posture, and the dietician on good and bad eating habits.

Medical Science is playing an increasing role in the proper preparation of the elite competitor. The Coach and the competitor should be aware that in many advanced Western Countries and in the Eastern European Countries, sports Science play a significant role in the training methods of the elite competitor.

Through a series of physiological test, the sports scientist can monitor the preparation of the competitor, through the use of video film, monitoring and force measuring devices, the movements of the body can be analysed for mechanical efficiency, and faults scientifically rectified.

Sports psychologists assist in the mental preparation of the competitor to ensure that the mental approach to the sport, to training and especially to competition are optimized.

It may be that Government Health Services, whether provided via Schools, the armed forces, hospitals or community clinics are the only real resources available to assist athletes. The role of government could go beyond the support of regular health maintenance and into:
1. Ensuring support services are provided to athletes through frequent monitoring of their health status.
2. Ensuring prompt and proper care of injuries, of illness or other problems to athletes.
3. Providing easy access to physiotherapy or other paramedical services
4. Supporting specific technical programs such as doping control, nutritional evaluation and supplementation, fitness testing.
5. Providing information and education to athletes and Coaches.
6. Providing administrative support for medical and paramedical staff.

What is increasingly evident, is that sport in Guyana is not been looked at as an employment opportunity for our Youths and as such much attention is not been placed on a more professional approach.
It could be argued that this unprofessional approach is what is responsible for this lack of development of the high performing and elite athletes in Guyana.

So it is safe to say that Sport in Guyana is only been looked at for recreational purposes. This popular perception of Sport in Guyana must be changed immediately or our country will not realise it true human resource potential which could make Guyana’s Sports Tourism destination in the near future.
Wayne Walcott
Athletic Coach

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