Sports Injuries and Care Provided by the Physiotherapy Service of the Brazilian Olympic Committee (BOC) during the...

Understanding previous experiences of athletes regarding treatments is important for preparation for major sporting events. However, there is little evidence regarding the description of physiotherapy services provided at Olympic Games. Providing data may assist with better understanding of the physiotherapy services provided during major sporting events such as the Summer Olympics.

To describe the injuries, injured body regions, most affected sports, and the procedures performed by the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) physiotherapy department to help injured athletes recover. This study also aims to provide data to better understand the physiotherapy services provided during the Summer Olympic Games. # Study Design Descriptive Epidemiology Study # Methods This observational descriptive study, uses information collected during the Olympic Summer Games based in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in August 2016. Reported injuries treated and procedures performed by physiotherapy professionals are detailed. Furthermore, the sports in which athletes competed and anatomical regions of the injuries treated are reported, through evaluation forms completed by the health team during the service provided by the BOC. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the results obtained was performed. Descriptive variables are reported, and a qualitative analysis of the results obtained was also performed. # Results A total of 422 athletes (90.7%) from the Brazilian team, competing in 35 sports, were referred by the medical department to the physiotherapy department. These athletes underwent physiotherapy treatment for 1,021 injuries diagnosed by the medical department of the BOC. Most of the injuries occurred in Judo athletes (n=358, 14.3%), followed by Handball athletes (n=153, 6.1%) and Artistic gymnasts (n=149, 6.0%). The most treated anatomical region was the shoulder region (n=167, 16.4%), followed by the knee region (n=152, 14.9%) and lumbar spine (n=126, 12.3%). The most frequently observed types of injuries were tendinopathies (n=207, 20.3%), sprains (n=198, 19.4%) and contusions (n=120, 11.7%). There were 3,539 physiotherapeutic treatments performed. The most utilized procedures were manual therapy (n=973, 27.5%), followed by electrotherapy therapeutic resources (n=876, 24.8%) and exercises (n=375, 10.6%). # Conclusion A large number of athletes who represented Brazil at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games sought medical care at the Brazilian Olympic Committee's physiotherapy department. Athletes from judo, handball, and artistic gymnastics were those who most frequently sought physiotherapy services. The main injuries treated by physiotherapy professionals were tendinopathies, followed by sprains and contusions. The body regions most frequently treated for injuries were the shoulder, knee, and lumbar spine. The most commonly used procedures in the physiotherapy service were manual therapy, electrotherapy, and exercise.

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