Sports injury recovery industry

The ratio is almost 50% between reliable professional institutions and quick-money-making leek-cutting stores. If ordinary sports enthusiasts don't have the ability to distinguish, they may spend thousands of dollars in vain without any effect, or turn a minor injury that could have been cured in two weeks into a major problem that requires surgery.

Last week I just saw a young man in the golf club complaining that he sprained his foot while playing 3v3 basketball. The swelling was not severe. The "Sports Rehabilitation Studio" opened downstairs said he had a joint dislocation. They straightened the bone on the spot and applied a secret plaster. They charged him 800 yuan. As a result, his foot swelled like a steamed bun the next day. When I went to the hospital for a checkup, it turned out to be a mild soft tissue contusion. He was forced to press and there was a large area of ​​subcutaneous bleeding. He had to use crutches for three weeks before he could get off the ground. This kind of thing is really not an isolated case. Almost half of the people around me who run horses, play badminton, and play iron have experienced pitfalls in recovery.

Speaking of which, there is still no unified judgment standard in this industry. Even practitioners with different backgrounds have very different ideas for dealing with the same injury.

Rehabilitation specialists from the sports medicine department of regular hospitals are the most evidence-based. They will first ask you to take an MRI and do a physical assessment. They will explain to you clearly how many millimeters the ligaments are torn and the degree of muscle strain. All rehabilitation plans are supported by clinical data and they will never give you random tricks. But the shortcomings are also obvious: on the one hand, it is difficult to register. Most rehabilitation departments in public hospitals are very busy. A rehabilitation practitioner has seven or eight patients on hand at the same time, and there is no time to dig out the details of the movements for you. Many people go there twice and feel that "it just teaches me a few movements and requires me to practice at home, which is not worth the money." So they turn around and go to the physical therapy shop on the street.

There is also a type of rehabilitation practitioner who is a retired athlete or a senior fitness coach who has a good understanding of muscle power generation and action patterns. Patellar tendonitis is always not good. He will tell you that your knee buckles too much when you land after taking two steps. He will help you change your power generation mode and then train your hip and leg strength for two months. It may be more effective than wearing a plaster for half a year. But the threshold for this track is too low. A few years ago, I asked a certification agency that if you spend 3,000 yuan to study for one week, you can get a "senior sports rehabilitation practitioner" certificate. Many people can't even distinguish the positions of the meniscus and the patella, but they dare to loosen the knee joint. Do you think it is outrageous?

Don’t think that traditional physical therapy is all a lie. When I suffered from chronic fasciitis, my back was so tight that it was difficult to even lift my arms. I went to a traditional Chinese medicine hospital to see an old doctor for three acupuncture treatments, and combined with weekly massage, 80% of the discomfort was eliminated in less than half a year. For many chronic small joint disorders and muscle strains, the effects of traditional methods are much faster than modern rehabilitation. But if you really encounter a problem that requires surgery, such as third-degree ligament tear or meniscus compression, and you still hold on to the idea that "bone correction can cure it" and don't go to the hospital, then you will only be the one who suffers in the end.

I sprained my ankle while playing badminton two years ago. I immediately went to the hospital for an MRI to confirm that there was no fracture and only a mild ligament strain. Then I found a studio run by the former provincial badminton team doctor and practiced ankle proprioception and strength twice a week. I went to a traditional Chinese medicine hospital near my home every three days for acupuncture to reduce edema. I returned to the court in less than three weeks. It has not recurred in almost three years now. In fact, there is really no need to stick to a certain genre, the one that suits you is the best.

The most troublesome thing in the industry now is price confusion and excessive marketing. It was also a rehabilitation course for patellar tendonitis. I asked three institutions. The cheapest one cost 300 yuan per session and ten treatments per course. The most expensive one was priced at 3,000 yuan per session. They said they used imported high-tech physical therapy equipment and the "same rehabilitation program for the national team." There are other propaganda like "one bone setting to cure lumbar protrusion" and "returning to the marathon in seven days". If you see it, you can just take a detour. People who are really capable of this will have been poached by the national team to be team doctors. Why do you have to open a small store on the street to make the money you have?

Many consumers also have cognitive issues. They either think that "if you are injured, just rest and there is no need for rehabilitation", or they think that "rehabilitation is just massage, why is it so expensive?" A friend had an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery, and the doctor asked him to see a rehabilitation specialist for post-operative rehabilitation. He thought it was just a leg break, so he did it at home, and ended up tearing out new damage to the adhesion area. He went back to the hospital for a second surgery, and it took almost a year before he could get off the ground normally.

As for what this industry will look like in the future, I don’t think there is any need to be too pessimistic. More and more hospitals are now opening sports medicine departments, and the relevant professional standards are gradually improving. If one day it turns out that real clinical experience is required to apply for the examination, those institutions that fish in troubled waters will naturally not be able to survive.

If you happen to be injured now and want to seek rehabilitation, here is a little reminder: Go to a regular hospital for evaluation first, make sure there are no problems that require surgery, and then find an institution. When you go there, ask the other party if they can provide rehabilitation cases similar to your situation. Don’t believe any guarantees. Recovery from sports injuries is inherently slow work. It can take as fast as a week or two, or as slow as half a year. Those who say they can cure you in a few days are 100% deceitful.