India’s para-athletes have commanded attention and have won
medals and global recognition – 19 medals in Tokyo and 29 in Paris. But, access
to structured sports medicine, injury prevention and long-term performance
support is limited for para-athletes.
Generally, first aid alone at a sports event is not enough for
para-athletes but a scientific, evidence-based assessment of strength, mobility
and functional readiness.
Ortho-One Orthopaedic Speciality Centre collaborated
with Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance (ABTP) conducted a dedicated
para-athlete strength and mobility assessment initiative in Coimbatore. The
program was designed to understand how each athlete moves, where they are at
risk, how to support sustainable performance and address pain issues.
Unlike athletes who have a constant support system,
para-athletes in India receive support only when there is an event. What they
often miss is:
A
structured physical screening before events
Sport-specific
strength and mobility training
Ongoing
sports physiotherapy and follow-up
Research and on-ground experience show that para-athletes face
a higher risk of overuse injuries, postural stress and biomechanical imbalance
especially when sport-specific conditioning is missing. Para-athletes may play
through pain, shorten their careers or drop out of the sport completely without
early identification of these issues.
A one-time medal should not come at the cost of
long-term health. This is why para-athletes need planned, evidence-based para
sports medicine in Coimbatore and across India.
To address the gap between supporting athletes and
para-athletes, Ortho-One partnered with Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance
(ABTP) to bring high-performance screening tools to para-athletes at a
city-level sporting event in Coimbatore.
Over 60 para-athletes across physical, visual, auditory and
intellectual impairments participated. The inpiduals were either recreational
athletes, district-level competitors or
national-level performers. Each athlete was assessed on strength and mobility,
followed by on-field physiotherapy and medical support.For many of the
participants, this was their first exposure to performance-based sports care
that went beyond routine medical check-ups.
The findings from the Coimbatore para-athlete strength and
mobility assessment highlighted:
around
70–80% of the para-athletes had balance and postural control deficits
nearly
one-third reported joint or muscle pain
a
majority showed strength and mobility limitations that affected daily movement
and sport-specific performance
These numbers represent para-athletes who are competing with
courage but without consistent access to sports physiotherapy. The assessments
showed that there is an unmet need for specialised para-sports screening and
conditioning at the district, state level and elite training centres.
Assessment Highlights
✅ 60+ para-athletes
screened
✅ 70-80% had
postural deficits
✅ 33% reported
joint pain
✅ First performance
assessment for most
India has an estimated 26.8 million persons with disabilities
but only a small fraction of those disabled currently participate in structured
para-sports. At the same time, the performance of para-athletes at the top
level is rising quickly at major international events. This gap brings with it
responsibilities for the medical community.
Systems
are needed to screen, predict injury and provide rehabilitation
Para-athletes
need access to para sports medicine beyond national camps
There
needs to be long-term planning so that athletes remain healthy through multiple
seasons
Sports science, physiotherapy and sports medicine must adapt
to the needs of para-athletes This means that there needs to be more precise
assessment, inpidualised management and targeted performance enhancement to
respect a para athlete’s unique physical demands.
Even though the Ortho-One–ABTP initiative in Coimbatore was
designed to be a one-off camp, it was also a launching pad to provide
continuous support to para-athletes.
The
participating para-athletes were offered subsidised access to detailed
performance assessments at Ortho-One and ABTP centres.
They
received personalised exercise prescriptions that were focused on strength,
balance, posture and sport-specific control.
Para-athletes
who were experiencing pain or significant impairments were guided to structured
rehabilitation and conditioning programs
Who
should book a para-athlete assessment?
A para-athlete strength and mobility assessment can help you
if you are experiencing
●
Frequent joint/muscle pain during training or
competition
●
Balance issues or fear of falling while performing
●
Difficulty maintaining a seated/standing posture
●
Fatigue despite consistent training
A quick and early screening can prevent career-ending
injuries and better performance.
If you are a para-athlete, coach or organisation looking to
introduce structured sports medicine into training, Ortho-One Orthopaedic
Speciality Centre can help you move from managing injuries to better
performance.
You can:
book
an inpidual para-athlete performance assessment at Ortho-One in Coimbatore
discuss
screening options with our sports medicine department
integrate regular follow-up, rehabilitation and monitoring into the training calendar
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