FV Hospital has officially established a Sport Medicine Unit to provide a comprehensive healthcare programme for individuals interested in sports, professional athletes aiming to enhance their performance, and patients prescribed by doctors to engage in exercise for health improvement.

Dr Nguyen Xuan Vinh, Sport Medicine Unit examines and provides advice to individuals at FV Hospital prior to starting their sports activities

Engaging in physical exercise is a popular trend for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, injuries and serious health issues resulting from overtraining or incorrect practices are common.

To provide comprehensive support to athletes, FV Hospital has collaborated with three parties: FV Hospital, ACC Chiropractic Clinic, and UpFit Personal Trainer Centre.

With the advantage of this careful cooperation, the Sport Medicine Unit offers a range of services, including counselling, fitness assessments, injury prevention, injury treatment, and rehabilitation programmes tailored to individuals of all ages who have specific needs or interests. Whether someone wishes to begin a systematic exercise routine to improve their health or has been prescribed exercise by their doctor, the Sport Medicine Unit provides fitness checks and performance enhancement programmes. Leveraging the expertise of being a multi-specialty hospital, the unit also includes nutritionists, internal medicine doctors, surgeons, physiotherapists, chiropractors, and other specialists who address various sports injuries and offer personalised rehabilitation programmes.

Health and fitness assessment programme for sports beginners

Selecting the appropriate sport and exercise intensity based on one’s physical condition is crucial for a safe and beneficial exercise routine. Therefore, FV Hospital‘s Sport Medicine Unit has developed a comprehensive fitness assessment programme for individuals interested in exercise, including those in normal health and patients prescribed exercise by their doctors to improve their health.

The programme encompasses risk factor assessments and evaluations of the participants’ capability to engage in sports or physical activities. Based on assessment results, doctors provide personalised advice on fitness strengthening, exercise routines, and injury prevention. In some cases, sports medicine doctors may refer individuals to other specialists at FV Hospital, such as nutritionists, cardiologists, pulmonologists, or orthopaedic surgeons, for joint assessments and further advice.

Dr Nguyen Xuan Vinh, a Doctor of Sport Medicine at FV Hospital, shared: “Anyone can participate in sports, from those with normal health to individuals with chronic diseases. Even healthy individuals should take an initial assessment before engaging in sports to identify any underlying medical conditions and evaluate their fitness level. For patients with pre-existing medical conditions, a sport medicine doctor can provide advice on selecting a suitable sport and exercise intensity based on their individual circumstances.”

FV Hospital doctors conduct health and fitness assessments for patients with underlying medical conditions.

FV Hospital’s Sport Medicine Unit offers two health and fitness assessment packages for adults interested in sports: a standard package comprising a sport medicine doctor’s assessment, nutrition consultation, cardiopulmonary function assessment, and biological testing, and a comprehensive package that includes all the aforementioned assessments, as well as an in-depth cardiopulmonary evaluation.

UpFit trainers provide suitable exercise programme advice for beginners.

Additionally, the Sport Medicine Unit offers a Health and Fitness Assessment Programme specifically designed for students before participating in physical activities, either based on individual needs or at the request of schools or sports clubs. Through this programme, individuals aged 12 and above undergo a comprehensive medical history examination, including family medical history, allowing doctors to assess growth and development, potential medical conditions, and any factors that might affect students’ ability to engage in physical activities.

Assisting professional athletes in improving their performance

The Sport Medicine Unit also develops specialised programmes for professional athletes seeking to improve their performance. Based on comprehensive health assessments, doctors and coaches collaborate to create training plans that enhance athletic abilities and safely enhance competitive performance.

After the competition, a doctor from ACC Clinic checks swimmer Luong Jeremie’s cervical spine movement.

In sports training, especially high-intensity training, athletes often face the risk of injuries such as ankle sprains, strains, hamstring injuries, shin pain, and more. Sport Medicine doctors provide guidance to athletes on injury prevention, health promotion, and enhancing athletic performance. In the unfortunate incident of an injury during training, Sport Medicine doctors conduct tests and offer advice on appropriate treatment in specialised fields.

Dr Wade Brackenbury, Director of the ACC Clinic (a member of FV), shared: “ACC Clinic has extensive experience in evaluating and supporting athletes in injury treatment and performance improvement. We have supported well-known names in the Vietnamese sports industry, including swimmers Anh Vien and Luong Jeremie, boxer Tran Thi Linh, badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh, Pencak Silat athlete Nguyen Thi Cam Nhi, and marathon athlete Thanh Vu.”

The Sport Medicine Unit also offers biomechanical assessment services, conducted at the ACC Clinic, which include evaluating musculoskeletal history, foot scans, gait analysis, spine examinations, and range of motion assessments.

Dr Wade Brackenbury analyses the gait of athletes.

By analysing athletes’ running postures, ACC doctors provide advice and create specialised medical orthopaedic insoles. Dr Wade shared, “Athletes from various countries around the world seek evaluations from our doctors to improve their running conditions and receive custom-made medical orthopaedic insoles tailored to the soles of their feet, improving their every step.”

FV Hospital and ACC Clinic also provide medical assistance upon request for various sporting events, such as marathons, triathlons, football, rugby, tennis tournaments, and others. ACC Clinic‘s chiropractors and physical therapists offer personalised support to selected athletes in various sports, including swimming, golf, basketball, boxing, badminton, marathon, and more.

“The goal of FV Hospital’s Sport Medicine Unit is to assist athletes and individuals with different athletic needs in achieving their goals, whether it’s engaging in physical activities, optimising performance, recovering from injuries, or simply maintaining health and fitness,” emphasised Dr Nguyen Xuan Vinh, Doctor of Sport Medicine at FV Hospital.