Take the lead in introducing a systematic system of domestic sports medicine
Korean professional baseball is one of the most beloved sports in Korea by many people. However, there is a lack of support in the field of sports medicine for improving performance and comprehensive player management. I met with Professor Oh Joo-han, who is serving as the chairman of the KBO Medical Committee, and talked about the direction of the development of sports medicine in our country.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: Hello professor, it's an honor to meet with you who are recognized for your outstanding medical research and achievements in shoulder therapy. I understand that you are also well regarded in the field of sports medicine. Please give us an introduction of yourself.
A. Professor Oh Joo-han at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (hereinafter referred to as Oh Joo-han): Lately I’ve been working on related activities as the medical chairman for the KBO (Korea Baseball Organization). In addition, I am working as a medical chairman of the Korea Skating Union in relation of sports, and working as a member of the Korea Ski Association. I am also the editor of a journal in the field of sports.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: Professor, I know that you also volunteered to be a team doctor for the LG Twins in 2012, and I know that you led the launch of the team doctor council and the establishment of a medical committee in KBO. What is the reason for your effort to support sports medicine despite the poor environment?
A. Oh Joo-han: I do this because I like sports. Since I wanted sports medicine to be supportive and to be developed according to the high level of sports in Korea, I started working with other professionals. Expertise and training are important for players to improve their performance, but it is also important to prevent damage medically and receive appropriate treatment when they are injured. In addition, sports medicine deals with not only health problems but also moral issues in sports such as sexual violence, or money-related issues, so I think it is really necessary for Korea.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: As a team doctor, I think there are many cases where you treated injured players on the spot. What is the difference in treatments when you are in the field? What is the difference between rehabilitation treatment for professional players and ordinary people?
A. Oh Joo-han: Simply speaking, it is most important to determine whether there is an emergency and take appropriate measures during the game. If there's a headshot in baseball, we'll have to check and evacuate quickly. In the past, the late Lim Soo-hyuk died after 10 years of being in the hospital room because of poor first aid treatment, so it is important to go out in the field and make quick decisions on whether the player is allowed to continue or to stop immediately. After, there is the question of when to return the player to the field, which is a very different consideration for ordinary patients. In addition, the decisions of when to return to the game should be a consensus between the player and his/her team's position, FA, trainers, and guardians. For rehabilitation, as professional and national athletes are managed by professional trainers, doctors usually set the direction. Of course, it is also important to cooperate and consult with trainers and athletes.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: It seems like sports damage is not just a problem for players. Recently, more and more people enjoy sports due to an increase in leisure time from working at home. What should people look out for if they practice daily activities such as baseball and golf?
A. Oh Joo-han: In fact, sports damage is the same as other damage in our daily lives because men and women of all ages exercise these days. Traffic accidents are decreasing and damage related to sports is increasing. Pain during exercise or daily activities means that something went wrong. In fact, when you exercise, you need to have good posture to minimize injuries. If you feel uncomfortable and in pain, stop and check if there is anything wrong with your posture and correct it. You don’t want to see an orthopedist because you think that you may have surgery for no reason. You may think that I'm sick but I'll be fine, but you are not. Finding the cause first and treating it early is much easier. What I really want to say is that it's important to learn step by step about what to do properly when it comes to sports, and then it's better to go to a hospital and treat it early if you are ensuring pain and discomfort.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: What are the causes of shoulder diseases if it is not due to sports, and what are the ways to prevent them?
A. Oh Joo-han: Those who come to me due to shoulder problems are basically divided into age groups. Young people are coming due to cartilage rupture or habitual dislocation, and older people are more likely to have collision syndrome or rotator cuff rupture. Whether it's sports damage or general disease, it varies by age, but what’s in common is that 90% of patients with shoulder pain have stiff shoulders, aka. frozen shoulder (adhesive joint cystitis), which is caused by cartilage rupture, rotator cuff rupture, wrist fracture, etc., If you don’t move or use it because it is painful, it becomes stiffer, and this process repeats like a vicious cycle. The more you don't use your shoulder, the worse it gets, so even in the process of finding the cause, it's important to loosen your stiff shoulders and make the left and right balanced.
As people use smartphones or PC a lot, they are likely to crouch, which causes a lot of collision syndrome. Collision syndrome is caused when the rotator muscle functions and muscle strength decrease, and the shoulder bone goes up and touches it. If you keep crouching, the upper ceiling bone will bend forward. Therefore, it is important for people who use their shoulders a lot or sit in front of the PC for a long time to stretch from time to time.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: You mentioned earlier, from the patient's point of view, if one goes through surgery, many people are worried about the side effects, so what are the criteria for surgery and non-surgery treatments?
A. Oh Joo-han: In fact, social norm or laws also changes medical behavior. In the past, people do not go to the army if they have had habitual dislocation surgery. However, surgery is not a must if you can control and maintain it in daily life. On the other hand, there are cases where surgery is required, such as a rupture of the rotator cuff tears. Older people or those with more than half the thickness of their tendons cannot stick on their own, then they should have surgery someday down the line. The timing of the surgery is the issue, which can be delayed by regular check-ups and up-to-date evaluation of the patient's conditions, pain level, progress, and rotator cuff rupture thickness. It is not possible to postpone the surgery for long. According to the research, it is better to do it a little earlier than later when it becomes smaller than 2.5cm thick. We're conducting a lot of research right now, but ultimately, we need to develop a cure for regeneration.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: I know that you are also studying treatments using cells or plasma to promote the regeneration of damaged areas. Please tell me about the treatment you are developing.
A. Oh Joo-han: We need growth stimulators that allow cells to regenerate, just as we need land to be fertile and good seeds for a good harvest. I'm currently working on a treatment that combines skin cells similar to tendon cells with platelets in the blood that have a lot of growth factors, and other substances such as collagen. And we're also working on several hormone treatments that can be used in surgery to make it stick well or can be injected into the stomach. Further research is needed in order for patients to receive these treatments without the stress of surgery through non-surgical treatments or treatments that help them recover after surgery.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: Lastly, do you have any future plans or goals as KBO Medical Committee Chairman?
A. Oh Joo-han: Since the 1988 Olympics, there have been many big international games held in Korea such as the 2002 World Cup. Accordingly, sports medicine has continued to develop. However, the case of professional baseball seems to have a long way to go. Korean professional baseball is one of the most popular sports in Korea, which is supposed to lead sports medicine, but our medical committee has a lot to do because there is still a lack of team doctor systems or data. For example, it is said recently that there is a decrease in the number of promising players. They should be managed as players from middle and high school to become professional players and national team players, but they lack connection with the club. Also, there are no related statistics such as injury statistics. While preparing for the international academic conference, I was supposed to publish disease statistics, but as there were no specific statistics on sports damage and there was no disease code for it, I felt that there are areas that were difficult to access medically. So, I hope that sports associations and academic organizations will be the main driver to accumulate data and develop them to be systematic.
Our KBO Medical Committee is also participating in the general meeting of the Players Association and promoting our cause, and it would be nice to have a path where players can share their experiences, so that’s what we are planning. The goal is to link it and create an educational system by serving as a lever between youth baseball and professional baseball so that youth players can be properly managed and bloom Korean baseball. In addition, it would be good to connect with the club, team doctor, and players to protect their bodies and to provide the support that can really help the players. I hope to have a system suitable for Korea's No. 1 popular sports, and I think it is very important because it is the foundation of amateur, professional and elite sports, and ultimately the daily recreation sports of society as a whole.
A. Professor Oh Joo-han at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (hereinafter referred to as Oh Joo-han): Lately I’ve been working on related activities as the medical chairman for the KBO (Korea Baseball Organization). In addition, I am working as a medical chairman of the Korea Skating Union in relation of sports, and working as a member of the Korea Ski Association. I am also the editor of a journal in the field of sports.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: Professor, I know that you also volunteered to be a team doctor for the LG Twins in 2012, and I know that you led the launch of the team doctor council and the establishment of a medical committee in KBO. What is the reason for your effort to support sports medicine despite the poor environment?
A. Oh Joo-han: I do this because I like sports. Since I wanted sports medicine to be supportive and to be developed according to the high level of sports in Korea, I started working with other professionals. Expertise and training are important for players to improve their performance, but it is also important to prevent damage medically and receive appropriate treatment when they are injured. In addition, sports medicine deals with not only health problems but also moral issues in sports such as sexual violence, or money-related issues, so I think it is really necessary for Korea.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: As a team doctor, I think there are many cases where you treated injured players on the spot. What is the difference in treatments when you are in the field? What is the difference between rehabilitation treatment for professional players and ordinary people?
A. Oh Joo-han: Simply speaking, it is most important to determine whether there is an emergency and take appropriate measures during the game. If there's a headshot in baseball, we'll have to check and evacuate quickly. In the past, the late Lim Soo-hyuk died after 10 years of being in the hospital room because of poor first aid treatment, so it is important to go out in the field and make quick decisions on whether the player is allowed to continue or to stop immediately. After, there is the question of when to return the player to the field, which is a very different consideration for ordinary patients. In addition, the decisions of when to return to the game should be a consensus between the player and his/her team's position, FA, trainers, and guardians. For rehabilitation, as professional and national athletes are managed by professional trainers, doctors usually set the direction. Of course, it is also important to cooperate and consult with trainers and athletes.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: It seems like sports damage is not just a problem for players. Recently, more and more people enjoy sports due to an increase in leisure time from working at home. What should people look out for if they practice daily activities such as baseball and golf?
A. Oh Joo-han: In fact, sports damage is the same as other damage in our daily lives because men and women of all ages exercise these days. Traffic accidents are decreasing and damage related to sports is increasing. Pain during exercise or daily activities means that something went wrong. In fact, when you exercise, you need to have good posture to minimize injuries. If you feel uncomfortable and in pain, stop and check if there is anything wrong with your posture and correct it. You don’t want to see an orthopedist because you think that you may have surgery for no reason. You may think that I'm sick but I'll be fine, but you are not. Finding the cause first and treating it early is much easier. What I really want to say is that it's important to learn step by step about what to do properly when it comes to sports, and then it's better to go to a hospital and treat it early if you are ensuring pain and discomfort.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: What are the causes of shoulder diseases if it is not due to sports, and what are the ways to prevent them?
A. Oh Joo-han: Those who come to me due to shoulder problems are basically divided into age groups. Young people are coming due to cartilage rupture or habitual dislocation, and older people are more likely to have collision syndrome or rotator cuff rupture. Whether it's sports damage or general disease, it varies by age, but what’s in common is that 90% of patients with shoulder pain have stiff shoulders, aka. frozen shoulder (adhesive joint cystitis), which is caused by cartilage rupture, rotator cuff rupture, wrist fracture, etc., If you don’t move or use it because it is painful, it becomes stiffer, and this process repeats like a vicious cycle. The more you don't use your shoulder, the worse it gets, so even in the process of finding the cause, it's important to loosen your stiff shoulders and make the left and right balanced.
As people use smartphones or PC a lot, they are likely to crouch, which causes a lot of collision syndrome. Collision syndrome is caused when the rotator muscle functions and muscle strength decrease, and the shoulder bone goes up and touches it. If you keep crouching, the upper ceiling bone will bend forward. Therefore, it is important for people who use their shoulders a lot or sit in front of the PC for a long time to stretch from time to time.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: You mentioned earlier, from the patient's point of view, if one goes through surgery, many people are worried about the side effects, so what are the criteria for surgery and non-surgery treatments?
A. Oh Joo-han: In fact, social norm or laws also changes medical behavior. In the past, people do not go to the army if they have had habitual dislocation surgery. However, surgery is not a must if you can control and maintain it in daily life. On the other hand, there are cases where surgery is required, such as a rupture of the rotator cuff tears. Older people or those with more than half the thickness of their tendons cannot stick on their own, then they should have surgery someday down the line. The timing of the surgery is the issue, which can be delayed by regular check-ups and up-to-date evaluation of the patient's conditions, pain level, progress, and rotator cuff rupture thickness. It is not possible to postpone the surgery for long. According to the research, it is better to do it a little earlier than later when it becomes smaller than 2.5cm thick. We're conducting a lot of research right now, but ultimately, we need to develop a cure for regeneration.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: I know that you are also studying treatments using cells or plasma to promote the regeneration of damaged areas. Please tell me about the treatment you are developing.
A. Oh Joo-han: We need growth stimulators that allow cells to regenerate, just as we need land to be fertile and good seeds for a good harvest. I'm currently working on a treatment that combines skin cells similar to tendon cells with platelets in the blood that have a lot of growth factors, and other substances such as collagen. And we're also working on several hormone treatments that can be used in surgery to make it stick well or can be injected into the stomach. Further research is needed in order for patients to receive these treatments without the stress of surgery through non-surgical treatments or treatments that help them recover after surgery.
Q. MEDIEUS Queen: Lastly, do you have any future plans or goals as KBO Medical Committee Chairman?
A. Oh Joo-han: Since the 1988 Olympics, there have been many big international games held in Korea such as the 2002 World Cup. Accordingly, sports medicine has continued to develop. However, the case of professional baseball seems to have a long way to go. Korean professional baseball is one of the most popular sports in Korea, which is supposed to lead sports medicine, but our medical committee has a lot to do because there is still a lack of team doctor systems or data. For example, it is said recently that there is a decrease in the number of promising players. They should be managed as players from middle and high school to become professional players and national team players, but they lack connection with the club. Also, there are no related statistics such as injury statistics. While preparing for the international academic conference, I was supposed to publish disease statistics, but as there were no specific statistics on sports damage and there was no disease code for it, I felt that there are areas that were difficult to access medically. So, I hope that sports associations and academic organizations will be the main driver to accumulate data and develop them to be systematic.
Our KBO Medical Committee is also participating in the general meeting of the Players Association and promoting our cause, and it would be nice to have a path where players can share their experiences, so that’s what we are planning. The goal is to link it and create an educational system by serving as a lever between youth baseball and professional baseball so that youth players can be properly managed and bloom Korean baseball. In addition, it would be good to connect with the club, team doctor, and players to protect their bodies and to provide the support that can really help the players. I hope to have a system suitable for Korea's No. 1 popular sports, and I think it is very important because it is the foundation of amateur, professional and elite sports, and ultimately the daily recreation sports of society as a whole.
#interview #shoulder #adhesive capsulitis #adhesive joint cystitis #Rotator Muscle Rupture #Sports Medicine #Baseball Sports Medicine #Team Doctor #Cell Therapy #KBO #Members of the Korea Professional Baseball Association #MDUS
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