At present general practitioners, surgeons, emergency medics, and sports medicine specialists make up the bulk of the cohort, though psychiatrists and junior doctors with no fixed specialty also work as medical officers. The most common injury sustained during a professional boxing contest is a laceration to the face.1 This leaves a role for those trained in and regularly practising suturing of skin. Surgeons and emergency medics are therefore ideal for this role, although certain lacerations (such as those affecting the tarsal plate or corneal injuries) are best referred for specialist care. As part of the contest team, the precontest medical examinations also fall within their remit. It must be remembered that suturing is not just a surgical skill and that other clinicians may have this skill. Indeed, Mill’s theory of individual freedom actually calls the ethics of boxing (not its legal status) into question.
The fighters knew that none of them would be the champion. The fighters knew they would always love and respect each other. They could not believe that the two friends were going to fight each other. They knew the match was going to start and that it would be one to remember.
Boxing Medicals and Fitness: Why Health Comes First in Combat Sports
A thorough medical exam ensures that a boxer is in optimal health, capable of handling the physical demands of the sport, and not at increased risk of injury or long-term health consequences. After a bout, certain British Boxing Board of Control regulations must be applied. In the case of some results or injuries, the boxer’s licence will be suspended (as guided by the board officials), preventing them from competing or sparring. During bouts, the medical officers may be called on by the referee at any point to assess a boxer’s fitness to continue, although ultimately it will be the referee’s decision about whether to heed that advice (all sensible, experienced referees will do so). Given the nature of boxing, head injuries are a major concern.
- We’re here to help athletes and professionals get the medical checks they need to stay safe and succeed in their fields.
- These recovery periods help prevent long-term health issues, such as brain damage or chronic injuries.
- Female boxers are becoming more prominent within the sport, raising further debates regarding ethics and medical risk.
- Boxing medicals are an integral part of ensuring the safety and well-being of athletes in combat sports.
- The British Boxing Board of Control is the governing body for professional boxing in the UK, with the Amateur Boxing Association regulating the amateur scene.
- Anaesthetists, because of their crucial role, are prized assets, as are emergency medics.
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This is an ideal role for a general practitioner as they are perfectly set up to do the yearly medical examination for a professional boxer required by the British Boxing Board of Control. This requires examination, blood sampling, and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain (with an initial magnetic resonance angiography of the cerebral circulation and screening for aneurysms on first application for a licence to box). In this blog, we’ll explore what makes boxing medical standards unique and why they are so important. Associations will be provided with a list of doctors’ names and contact details to enable them to contact doctors to undertake medical services.
Still, a critique of boxing need not amount to physician tyranny or autonomy infringement. The interpretation of autonomy, and its application to the problem of boxing, is more complicated than libertarian slogans let on. In particular, the critique of boxing can represent the fusion of medical and ethical judgment that arises from any definition of sport. That is, society relies on physicians to assist in setting limits on what constitutes permissible sport. Hence, there is nothing unusual or dangerous about their offering guidance on the health-related aspects of boxing. For example, an eye condition that affects peripheral vision can lead to missed punches and slower reactions, increasing the chance of being injured.
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This early exposure resulted in a lifelong love of boxing and led to the authors becoming involved in the sport. Some people reading this article will be astounded that doctors choose to be involved in this aggressive competition, with risks of injury and death. The relative merits and ills of boxing have been debated in many forums and will continue to be debated as long as the sport continues.
A neurological exam ensures that a boxer’s brain and nervous system are functioning properly. Fighters who have previously suffered concussions or traumatic brain injuries are at higher risk for long-term damage, and the medical will assess find out this here whether the athlete is fit to continue competing. Doctors may also look for any signs of neurological deterioration that could result from repeated blows to the head. Boxing is a high-risk sport that requires participants to be in excellent physical and mental health. To protect athletes and ensure fair competition, boxing has some of the strictest medical standards in sports. These standards focus on assessing a boxer’s health before, during, and after a fight.