History and Purpose

T he pr e se nt Inte r natio nal Fe de r atio n o f Spo r ts Me dicine (FIMS) is an inte r natio na l or ganisat io n co mpr ise d o f natio na l spor ts me dicine asso ciatio ns that span all five co ntine nt s. The aim o f FIMS is to assist athle te s in achie ving o ptimal per fo r mance by maximisi ng the ir ge ne tic po te ntial , he alth, nutr itio n , and high- quality me dical car e and tr aining . An o utline o f its de ve lo pme nt is de scr ibe d be lo w . T he fir st mo der n O lympic G ame s to o k place in Athe ns, G re ece in 1 89 6 . Advance s in spo r ts tr aining re quir e d advance s in the me dical car e of w or ld- class athle te s. Amo ng o the r s, the fir st spor ts me dicine physicia n, the fir st labo r ato r y for the e valuatio n of athle te s, the fir st spo r ts me dicine jo ur nal, and the fir st spo r ts me dicine asso ciatio n we re all e stablishe d in Dre sde n, G er many in 19 13 . T he inte r natio nal spo r ts fe de r atio ns we re also fo unde d at the time that the O lympic G ame s w e re re -e stablis he d. T he e xisting spor ts pr o fe ssio nals o f the time w er e be ing influe nce d by the or ganiz atio n of the spor ts and the r e alisatio n of the impo r tance o f pr o mo ting the ide as o f spo r ts me dicine , and at the W inte r O lympics he ld in St Mor itiz , Sw itz e r land in Fe br uar y 1 92 0 , the Asso ciatio n Inte r natio nal Me dico Spo r tive (AIMS) w as fo unde d. T he main pur po se o f this Asso ciatio n w as to coo pe r ate w ith the inte r natio na l spo r ts fe de r atio ns and the Inte r natio nal O lympic Co mmitte e to pr o vide the be st me dical car e fo r the athle te s co mpe tin g in the Summe r and W inte r O lympics . T he 1 st AIMS Inte r natio nal C o ngre ss o f Spo r ts Me dicine w as he ld dur ing the 9 th Summe r O lympic G ame s he ld in Amste r dam, T he N e the r lands, in August 19 28 . At le ast 28 0 spo r ts physicia ns fro m 2 0 co untr ie s atte nde d the me e ting, and the y had the o ppor tunit y to study many o f the athle te s taking par t in the G ame s thr o ugh the co lle ctio n of anthr o po me tr ic, car dio vascul ar , physio lo g ical and me tabo lic data. In 19 33 , the name AIMS w as change d to F d r atio n Inte r natio nale Me dico - Spo r tive e t C ie ntifiq ue at the 2 nd Inte r natio nal Co ngr e ss he ld in Se pte mbe r 1 93 3 in T ur in, Italy. Dur ing the fo llo w ing Inte r natio nal C o ngr e ss, he ld in C hamo nix, Fr ance , the asso ciatio n re ce ive d its pr e se nt name . As FIMS w as bo r n unde r the umbr e lla o f the O lympic G ame s, this str o ng asso ciatio n w ith the Inte r natio nal O lympic C o mmitte e (IO C ) is r e fle cte d in the five O lympic r ings in the FIMS flag and lo go . FIMS co ntinue s to gro w as an inte r natio nal co mmunity o f spo r ts me dicine spe cialists , re se ar ching and pr acticing the late st te chnique s in me dicine fo r athle te s and o the r s w ho le ad active live s.

Sports rehabilitation is a multi-disciplinary approach to treat injuries sustained

through sports participation so the athlete can regain normal pain-free mobility. The team may consist of highly trained professionals which can include physical therapists, athletic trainers, chiropractors and massage therapists. The primary goal is to return to pre-injury activities, whether the athlete is a professional, amateur or casual player.

The most common injuries treated by the sports rehabilitation team is sprains and strains. A sprain is an injury to the ligaments caused by overstretching or tearing. A strain, on the other hand, is an injury or tear to the muscle itself. Other conditions that can be treated through asports rehabilitation program are fractures, arthritis issues, joint replacements and generalized pain issues. Sports rehabilitation typically begins with a pain management treatment program, usually given by a licensed physical therapist. Some modalities utilized for pain relief include ice or heat application, ultrasound and electrical stimulation. Ultrasound is an effective tool to increase circulation to the affected or injured area which assists in speeding up the healing process. It can also reduce the edema or swelling causing pain. Electrical stimulation, commonly known as TENS, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, utilizes electric waves that penetrate into the muscle and aid in the relief of pain. A big component of sports rehabilitation involves a stretching and exercise routine. Stretching assists the muscles shortened by injury or pain to regain its normal length to optimize pain-free motion. Exercise routines encompass things like strength, endurance, flexibility and balance to improve performance. The final progression of the exercise routine is the utilization of functional exercises to help return the athlete to his former performance level. Functional exercises are often sport-specific. Athletic trainers often can supply immediate intervention of an injury. They can also be an integral part of the healing process and the prevention of further injury. A massage therapist can supply the manual techniques to assist in the recovery of movement as well as the pain relief required for optimal participation in the sport. Today many sports rehabilitation programs utilize chiropractors. A chiropractor is a healthcare professional trained in the manipulation of thespine and manual soft tissue techniques to aid in the recovery of pre-injury performance. Many chiropractors are also trained in exercise and stretching techniques. Sports rehabilitation begins with the treatment of the acute injury. It then follows the athlete through every step of recovery. From pain relief to optimizing muscle length to returning to pre-injury performance to injury prevention, sports rehabilitation is comprehensive rehab program that focuses on every facet of pain-free, effective, sportsspecific motion.