Sport & Technology: the digital tools for a new era of Tele-rehabilitation
INAIL, AlmavivA, and the Villa Beretta Foundation to speak at the Social Football Summit on the critical intersection of Sports and Digital Evolution, focusing on Telemedicine and its practical implications
Post-operative physical rehabilitation is one of the primary challenges athletes face following a physical injury or trauma. For athletes, injuries often lead to a crossroads filled with fears and concerns about their career prospects: Is this the end? Will I ever be the same?
Unfortunately, many professional athletes have seen their careers cut short by physical disabilities or excessively long recovery times. On the other hand, some careers, once thought irrecoverable, have returned to pre-injury levels. Notable athletes like Rafael Nadal and Kevin Durant, for instance, have benefited from advanced tele-rehabilitation programs to monitor their progress.
Technological advancements in healthcare have made significant strides, evolving in ways that allow faster physical recovery for athletes. In recent years, tele-rehabilitation—a form of rehabilitation utilizing digital technologies for remote support and assistance—has gained prominence. Through tele-rehabilitation, therapeutic exercises, feedback, and interactions with healthcare professionals no longer require physical visits to rehabilitation centers. The benefits are numerous and practical: enhanced accessibility and inclusivity of care, real-time monitoring, and flexible interventions. In short, it’s a method that enables a holistic assessment of each athlete, aiming to understand why specific injuries occur. However, there’s a critical ethical issue—one that requires careful consideration—regarding the management and security of sensitive health data.
For these reasons, the presence of these partners is essential. The Villa Beretta Foundation stands out as a “flagship” in advanced tele-rehabilitation protocols, having recently collaborated with AlmavivA to implement tele-rehabilitation solutions within the hospital. The primary goal is to revolutionize rehabilitative care by using augmented reality, virtual reality, and AI. With INAIL, the focus will be on the practical applications—and impact—of tele-rehabilitation within the context of work re-adaptation.
In a world where technology is increasingly integrated into our lives, this branch of telemedicine represents a revolution for the sports sector and health in general. Adopting digital solutions not only improves access to rehabilitative services but also increases the effectiveness of therapies and athletes’ engagement in the recovery process. Looking to the future, it’s clear that digital innovation and sports will increasingly move in tandem, making tele-rehabilitation a cornerstone. Investing in these technologies is a necessary step to ensure complete and safe recovery for athletes, both professional and amateur, supported by tools that evolve alongside them.
