Sports medicine is a specialized field. Prevention of trauma, timely diagnosis, correct treatment, and rehabilitation after injuries are vital for professional sports and are in more demand as fitness activities are gaining more and more popularity among the general population. The demand for sports medicine services grows, as the global sports medicine market size reached USD 6.26 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 9.86 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period.
Source: fortunebusinessinsights.com
That creates the need for reliable efficient tools got managing patient’s health and well-being. This is the part where healthtech software for sports medicine comes into play, and there are some current and upcoming solutions that revolutionize the field of sports medicine.
In this article, we explore the areas of sports medicine where software could have the most impact (with existing examples). We also dive deep into the most impactful sports medicine types of healthcare software.
Preventing Sports Injuries
Professional sports and injuries are unfortunately bound together forever. If we’re speaking about European football, in 2021, the Premier League had the biggest injury cost count at £184.57m, with second-place La Liga at £109.34m. 12% of Olympic athletes were injured during the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Naturally, it is being addressed and these numbers can decrease thanks to data analytics in sports medicine The technology gathers data about the players during training, before, during, and after the match. It serves to purpose of analyzing, creating new strategies, and boosting athletes’ performance. Subsequently, it is possible to track the health state and warn about overstraining. So it is given that advanced technology is being used to prevent sports injuries by gathering data about athletes’ performance and health through wearables, sensors, and genetic testing.
Let’s have a look at the most seasoned companies that operate in this area of sports injuries prevention, and what aspects they cover with the software.
Genetic testing
Athletigen Technology is one of the many companies that offer genetic tests to athletes to personalize their training and diet regimen based on their genetic background.
Basically, the customer buys a DNA kit (current market price is $174.99), proceeds with tests, and then gets a set of reports with warm-up recommendations or nutrition advice based on your genotype. These genetic tests reveal additional insights about a possible heightened risk of injury or specific nutritional demands. Later, these results allow the helpers of an athlete to adjust their workout plan and nutrition accordingly.
Software with these insights is useful for professional athletes and shows their vulnerabilities that need to be addressed during training sessions
Wearables
The market of wearable technology in sports medicine has a lot to offer. Healthcare wearables and sensors, such as Pebble Time, Fitbit Surge, and PIP, monitor athletes’ performance, stress levels, and sleep habits.
Source: sportsmith.co
The main goal is certainly keeping professionals healthy with the help of insights on constant health data management. For instance, Fitbit Ionic tracks your fitness activities, while PIP gives you an overview of your stress levels. As of 2018, 25% of athletes worldwide were using some sort of wearable device.
Now there is an increased number of specialized tools for monitoring the stress load and performance of players to avoid fatigue-induced injuries. Specialized tools like Vert and Blast Motion help athletes improve their jumping capabilities and optimize their swings. Optimization of performance and decreased risk of injury are among the major benefits that are on the table
Monitoring in real-time
Sports injury prevention with the technology of real-time monitoring is only possible thanks to innovative devices, smart clothing, and accessories.
The vast example is the Australian sports performance analytics company Catapult Sports produces a device that tracks over 100 metrics from speed through heart rate to acceleration.
With the help of advanced technologies such as sensors, chips, and analytics software, it is possible to collect vast amounts of data in real-time, providing valuable insights into various aspects of performance and safety.
Like in the case of Zebra Technologies. The company produces chips that NFL players wear on their shoulders, and data is sent to receivers around the stadium. Certainly, they’re not the only ones out there.
These two companies: HexoSkin and D30 have developed smart clothing and helmets with sensors woven into them that measure vital signs and provide impact protection capabilities to prevent injuries. High-tech hard hats and mouth guards with sensors are being used to reduce the chance of a concussion.
In the future, sportswear may show real-time physiological data to clinicians, and devices may actively boost athletes’ performance. Use of machine learning algorithms to analyze large amounts of data from various sources, such as medical records, genetics tests, and fitness data, to identify patterns and risk factors that may contribute to injuries. By analyzing this data, coaches can develop customized training programs and injury prevention strategies tailored to each athlete’s needs.
Overall, the latest software solutions for preventing sports injuries leverage advanced technologies such as wearables and machine learning to provide athletes with personalized training programs, injury prevention strategies, and injury management tools, all aimed at reducing the risk of injuries and improving overall performance.
Sports Injury Rehabilitation
Cutting-edge diagnostic methods and effective rehabilitation tools have the potential to shorten recovery time and ease the discomfort experienced during the healing process. Regarding diagnostics, portable medical devices and real-time visualization are already making a difference and are expected to bring even more in the future.
Source: achievephysiorehab.ca
Musculoskeletal ultrasound is becoming more common in elite sports. Basically, in the future, we await an on-pitch scanner that works through clothing and wouldn’t need conducting gel.
Treadmills, exoskeletons, and other robotic structures
Following an injury, it often takes a long and tedious rehabilitation process to regain the ability to participate in sports activities.
AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill is the system that allows patients can work out without bearing their full body weight. This treadmill has shown promise not only in sports rehabilitation but also in neurological, orthopedic, senior rehabilitation, and weight loss.
Additionally, exoskeletons, complex robotic structures, could further support rehabilitation in the future. These structures could help the recovery of stroke or spinal cord injury patients and even enable paralyzed individuals to walk again.
AR/VR
While virtual reality and augmented reality are already used in several medical specialties, their application in sports medicine is currently limited. However, blending existing evidence-based rehabilitation strategies with cutting-edge VR technologies that replicate players in their own stadium, including the noise of the fans, could be a valuable adjunct.
VR is also used for sports injury rehabilitation.
Source: nytimes.com
For example, the Israeli start-up VRPhysio uses gaming technology to help treat neck, spinal, and other injuries through VR and rehabilitating games. They have created a platform that makes physiotherapy exercises accessible and enjoyable to patients while being easily monitored and analyzed by doctors and physiotherapists.
In the future, augmented reality apps could assist physicians in checking player collisions in real time, allowing them to assess the impact and make decisions about whether a player should be taken off the field.
To back up our point, Dr. Michael Joyner, a physiologist, and anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic, insists that AR technology could be used to create personalized training programs for athletes.
Also, Dr. James Andrews, a renowned orthopedic surgeon, and sports medicine specialist, states that AR could be used to help athletes recover from injuries more quickly. By using AR to monitor an athlete’s progress during rehabilitation, doctors and trainers could make adjustments to their treatment plan in real-time, ensuring that the athlete is able to return to competition as soon as possible.
Types of Software Applicable in Sports Medicine
Electronic Health Records for athletes
Sports medicine professionals can use these solutions to manage patient records, track their progress, and monitor their health status. This can help practitioners develop individualized treatment plans and ensure that patients receive the care they need to recover from injuries and improve their performance.
Source: ronkitenews.azpbs.org
For example, EHR (Electronic Health Record) solutions provide a comprehensive and intuitive platform that enables healthcare providers to manage patient information and monitor their progress. Our EHR solutions can also help practitioners reduce errors, increase efficiency, and streamline workflows. Additionally, software developed by Elinext can help healthcare providers comply with regulations, such as HIPAA, ensuring the security and privacy of patient data.
AI diagnostics software
Diagnostic software uses AI algorithms to analyze patient data and identify potential health issues. This software can help healthcare providers make more accurate diagnoses and provide effective treatments. Our software can also help practitioners monitor the effectiveness of treatments and make adjustments as needed, ensuring that patients receive the care they need to recover fully.
Сertainly, those are just a few examples of software applications. There are pieces of software that allow providing biomechanics analysis in sports medicine and performance monitoring software.
AI technology is widely used in sports medicine. Sports medicine software solutions come in all shapes and sizes
Conclusion
As the demand for sports medicine services continues to grow, the role of healthtech software in improving sports medicine will become increasingly important in the years to come. The market is expected to appreciate and reach $11.86 billion by 2030, according to Strategic Market Research.
Software (and hardware) improves sports injury rehabilitation by shortening recovery time. Wearables, genetic testing, and machine learning algorithms can help prevent sports injuries. Smart devices can improve sports injury rehabilitation by shortening recovery time and easing the discomfort experienced during the healing process.
If you’re looking for ways to enter the market with your unique product in the field, contact Elinext as your sports medicine-related software development partner.
