Global data for sports medicine

Be it recreational or elite sports: The number of sports injuries is increasing worldwide. Most of these concern the spine and the joints. This is one of the typical areas where supports are used.

However, despite the large number of cases, there is often a lack of documentation that could enable conclusions to be drawn about treatment and prevention. This is where Bauerfeind’s international case series provides up-to-date data.

In the period from July 2015 to March 2016, 37 treatment centers in nine countries documented 1651 patient cases where Bauerfeind supports and orthoses were prescribed for sporting injuries. In addition to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the countries taking part also included Poland, Hungary, and Italy, as well as Canada, the Middle East , and Singapore.

This provided an international cross-section of sports medicine practice. The evaluations of the LumboTrain back support , the EpiTrain elbow support , and the GenuTrain knee support showed that these all provided excellent pain relief.

"LumboTrain: 50 percent no longer using pain medication at end of treatment"

In Germany, Austria, Poland, and Canada, the focus was on back pain. A total of 153 patients were provided with the LumboTrain. The support was prescribed most frequently for pain in the spine (93.8%), followed by instability (4.6%) and inflammation (1.5%). Half of the patients were exercising at the time of treatment. Following acute and chronic back pain, patients felt the most effective treatment was in wearing the LumboTrain exclusively. Their pain reduced continually until the end of treatment and their feeling of stability increased. At the end of treatment , nearly 50% of patients said that they were no longer taking any pain medication. Three quarters of patients could go about their daily lives with no mobility restrictions.

"EpiTrain helps nine out of ten patients in everyday life"

176 cases of elbow complaints were treated using EpiTrain. The countries participating were Germany, Austria, Poland, Canada, Singapore, and the Middle East. Here, too, the majority of patients were given the support to ease pain. Far fewer wore the support to treat joint instability and joint inflammation. The most frequent diagnosis was humeral epicondylitis. Over 80% of patients rated the pain-relieving effects of the EpiTrain as “good” or “very good.” Over 90% stated that wearing the EpiTrain they could perform nearly all everyday movements with no restrictions. Physicians most frequently prescribed a combination of EpiTrain, physiotherapy, and pain medication.

GenuTrain came out on top

The most frequently prescribed treatment was the GenuTrain. The knee support was used in 620 cases in all nine countries. It was by far the most frequently prescribed treatment for joint pain, followed by joint inflammation and instability of the knee joint. Two thirds of patients were exercising prior to the injury, one third was not taking part in any sporting activities. During multimodal treatment , 74% of patients reported pain relief to be “good” to “very good.” By the end of the treatment , this value increased to almost 80%. The effectiveness of the GenuTrain was also evident in the decline in patients needing to take pain medication. At the start of treatment , 64% of patients needed pain medication occasionally to up to three times a day. However, by the end of treatment , the situation was reversed and 62% of patients no longer needed any pain medication. In terms of stability, 84% of patients stated that they had a “good” to “very good” feeling of knee stability during treatment with the GenuTrain.

The treating physician’s perspective

From Canadian “weekend warriors” to quality-loving Hungarians – two physicians involved in the case series talk about the Train supports and how well-known they are in their countries: Dr. Gary Abraham, a sports physician in Brampton, Canada, explains that , despite all the treatment successes, knowledge on supports and orthoses is still not very widespread in his huge country. “Many colleagues call me and ask for a recommendation,” says the physician, who has worked in sports medicine for 25 years. He often prescribes EpiTrain and GenuTrain for the typical “weekend warriors”, ambitious amateur athletes who frequently push themselves too far and injure themselves. “The products are effective and have no side effects, which is increasingly important for Canadians,” the sports physician emphasizes. Some insurance providers in the country reimburse the costs up to a certain amount. Dr. Abraham appreciates the existing studies and the detailed instructions for use that come with Bauerfeind products, which can also be used by the insurance companies to assess the uses of the supports and orthoses.

Dr. Zoltán Csiki, a trauma surgeon and sports physician, is head of the outpatient department of the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Hatvan, Hungary, a town in Greater Budapest with 30,000 inhabitants. “I have been working with Bauerfeind’s Train supports for six years,” the physician explains. “My patients and I are very satisfied with them. My favorites are all part of the GenuTrain product range.
I can use these products to optimally treat both athletes and non-athletes.” He further states that even though orthopedic supports are known in Hungary as an evidence-based
treatment option, the high quality of Bauerfeind products sets them apart from the rest. The specialist for rehabilitation and osteoarthritis says that this is also a reason why he prefers to prescribe the Train supports. In Hungary, patients must pay around 50 euros for the products, but “they also receive value for money in return,” according to Dr. Csiki. Many of his patients with joint instabilities and ligament injuries therefore wear the Train supports when exercising and in their day-to-day activities.

-

*Originally featured in Bauerfeind LIFE Magazine: https://www.bauerfeind-life.com/en/international-case-series-with-train-supports/