Sports Medicine: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

The connection between medicine and physical culture goes back to ancient times. A description of gymnastics is contained in the manuscripts of Indian and Chinese doctors written 3000 BC. As part of a person’s upbringing and way of life, physical culture in the countries of the East serves the development and formation of a harmonious personality not only physically, but also morally, psychologically, and spiritually. In ancient Rome, doctors worked in schools of gladiators and wrestlers – these were the first sports doctors. The founder of medical gymnastics in Greece is considered to be Herodicus. Hippocrates brought to Greek gymnastics certain hygienic knowledge and understanding of the therapeutic dose of physical exercise for a sick person. The founder of sports medicine and physical education in Russia was P.F. Lesgaft. His works formed the basis for the development of such a direction as medical supervision in the process of physical education and sports. In the history of Soviet, and currently Russian, sports medicine, several stages are conventionally distinguished: 20s of the 20th century- the origin and development of sports medicine, as medical control over the health of people involved in sports and physical education; 1930-1941. – development of medical support services for athletes (opening of dispensaries); 1941-1945 – active participation of sports doctors in the treatment and rehabilitation of wounded soldiers and officers; 1945-1948 – restoration after the war of the scientific direction and network of specialized medical institutions related to sports medicine; 1949-1991 – creation of a modern system for organizing sports medicine; creation and equipment of medical and physical training clinics and medical and physical training rooms; from 1991 to the present – the formation of sports medicine services in Russia. Currently, sports medicine continues its development and is most often understood as a field of professional medicine, all types of activities of which are aimed at preserving and strengthening health, preventing and treating diseases, as well as increasing the effectiveness of the training process in people involved in physical education and sports.