In Depth: China Looks to Raise Public Awareness About Sports Injuries

Wu Xu's experience of suffering from a sports injury highlights several challenges faced by China’s healthcare system, particularly in handling cases related to sports medicine. After a cycling accident, Wu had to visit three different hospitals to correctly diagnose her injury, which turned out to be an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. Initially, an X-ray and a CT scan at two different facilities failed to provide a clear diagnosis, illustrating gaps in the medical treatment pathway and highlighting the lack of specialized sports medicine departments in most hospitals. Eventually, doctors at a third hospital provided the correct diagnosis and recommended surgery, projecting a ten-month recovery period. This experience is not uncommon in China, where an increasing population of people engaging in physical activities often leads to sports-related injuries. However, the lack of specialized care means these injuries sometimes do not receive prompt or accurate attention, aggravating the situation. [para. 1][para. 2][para. 3][para. 4][para. 5]

There is a burgeoning need for expertise in sports medicine within China, driven by increased physical activity among the populace. The 2023-2024 China Sports Rehabilitation Industry White Paper indicated that approximately 430 million Chinese engage in regular physical activities, with around 100 million suffering sports injuries in this timeframe. Historically, the sports medicine landscape in China has been limited. Only a small fraction of the country's top hospitals have dedicated departments for sports injuries, and many cases are defaulted to orthopedics. The visibility of sports medicine has been improving, notably since it gained a standalone category in China’s Hospital Rankings in 2022. Experts claim this growing recognition is enhancing diagnostic and treatment capabilities, notably benefiting professional athletes. Yet, the increased frequency and diversity of sports injuries have stressed existing capacities, as demonstrated by hospitals like Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, which perform thousands of surgeries annually. Notably, many injuries are experienced by amateurs who often lack preventive knowledge. [para. 6][para. 7][para. 8][para. 9][para. 12]

Wu's case also underscores broader systemic issues, including the delay in seeking treatment and the financial burden associated with sports injury recovery. Many patients avoid pursuing immediate treatment due to cost concerns, waiting until the condition becomes more severe. Even when seeking treatment, information gaps, regional healthcare disparities, and misdiagnoses further complicate recovery. Financially, the division between treatment (30%) and rehabilitation (70%) costs can be a significant burden on individuals. Wu's personal experience revealed a disconnect between medical service costs and insurance coverage, with her considering private rehabilitation institutions only to be deterred by prohibitively high session rates. [para. 14][para. 15][para. 16]

Despite advancements in establishing sports medicine as a distinct specialty in recent years, integration with orthopedics still provides the most comprehensive treatment plans, reflecting global best practices. China's health institutions have partially addressed the growing demand for rehabilitation services; the number of private sports rehabilitation institutions has risen from about 100 five years ago to 750 by 2023. Nevertheless, there is a disparity in quality among these institutions. For sustainable improvement, experts suggest that prevention, data-driven injury risk assessment, and improved public awareness are crucial to curb the rates of sports injuries. Finally, the pressing need for reliable national data to better inform and tailor sports injury prevention strategies remains unfulfilled, with overreliance on foreign data models that might not apply directly to China's unique context. [para. 17][para. 18][para. 19][para. 20][para. 22][para. 23]