The head team physician of the Cleveland Browns combed the vast array of wearable technologies for his recent research. James Voos, M.D., also the Jack & Mary Herrick Director of Sports Medicine at University Hospitals, examined all manner of the technology from pedometers and accelerometers to global positioning devices. The goal? Enlighten team physicians and other health care providers with the various types of wearable technology available, their utilization and potential future applications in sports medicine.
According to the February 25, 2016 news release, “The sensor, half-dollar in size and shape, is worn during all aspects of training and physicians receive live feedback on a monitor as the athlete completes his workout. It allows the doctors and trainers to customize daily routines safely and effectively while avoiding potential injury and over-exertion.”
“Wearable technology provides a method of monitoring real-time physiologic and movement parameters during training and competitive sports, ” said Dr. Voos, who is also Associate Professor of Orthpaedics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “These parameters can be used to detect position-specific patterns in movement, design more efficient sports-specific training programs for performance optimization, and screen for potential causes of injury.”
According to the news release, “Cleveland Browns Head Athletic Trainer Joe Sheehan is a co-author on the paper. Sheehan has implemented the use of wearable technology during training with his athletes. Sheehan and Dr. Voos are using this technology to identify risk factors which will likely aid in preventing injury and assist both the team and individual athletes in maximizing their performance.”
“Wearable technology represents a new frontier in the world of sports, ” said Sheehan. “We are extremely excited to partner with University Hospitals as we look to maximize the benefits of this new technology.”
“We are very excited to be one of the first teams to publish scientific data on the use of wearable technology in professional football players. The end goal is to provide our athletes with a safe, predictive model for injury prevention, ” said Dr. Voos. “This revolutionary research has been accepted for presentation at the NFL Physicians Society Annual Meeting at the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine in February in addition to five other UH Sports Medicine research studies.”
Dr. Voos told OTW, “Knowledge of available wearable technology and its applications allows physicians to more effectively communicate with patients, athletic trainers and physical therapists about potential rehabilitation and work out programs.”
