Sports medicine in action – With the German freestyle snowboard team at major winter sports events
Between halfpipe and hotel room: Sports medicine in competition mode
Major international winter sports events represent an exceptional situation – for athletes as well as for the medical team. Right in the middle of it all: Dr Sebastian Sinz, sports physician and team doctor of the German freestyle snowboarders. On site in Livigno: MASTERPULS® R-SW100, MASTERPULS® icon, DUOLITH® SD1 T-TOP »ultra« and MAGNETOLITH® ultra+.
For the orthopaedic specialist from Wasserburg, working at these events goes far beyond providing medical care. »What makes it special is the connection between medicine, sport, different countries, and people,« he explains. When athletes from all over the world come together, an atmosphere is created that goes far beyond sporting competition.
Sports medicine as part of the performance strategy
Modern sports medicine has become an integral part of performance development in elite sports. It no longer acts only reactively in response to injuries, but strategically – balancing prevention, acute intervention, and long-term structural improvement.
Already during the immediate preparation phase of the athletes, including training camps in Laax and Cervinia, MASTERPULS® R-SW100 and MAGNETOLITH® ultra+ were in use. Their early integration into training and competition planning supported the targeted treatment of muscular imbalances, fascial tension, and overload reactions.
Why the shoulder is particularly demanding in freestyle
Freestyle snowboarders constantly operate at the limits of physical performance. Jumps over ramps more than seven meters high, height differences of up to twelve meters, and hard landings generate enormous shear, torsional, and compressive forces.
Particularly affected are structures responsible for stabilising during abduction and controlling deceleration. Repeated landings – often on landing airbags – can lead to eccentric overload of the coracobrachialis muscle, which plays a key role in anterior shoulder stability.
Chronic overload may result in dynamic narrowing in the anterior shoulder joint. Abduction becomes restricted, potentially leading to muscular impingement. For athletes, this means reduced range of motion, faster onset of irritation, and ultimately decreased performance – precisely when consistency and progression are essential.
Halfpipe athlete Christoph Lechner receives treatment for rapid regeneration after training – on the shoulder, as well as bilaterally on the hip flexors and patellar tendon
Around-the-clock medical care
Major sporting events do not follow office hours. Medical support begins long before the first run and often continues late into the evening.
»Available around the clock« is not just a phrase in elite sports – it is everyday reality. »What matters is not only what is treated, but also when and where,« explains Dr Sinz.
Treatments take place wherever they are needed: in the athlete zone, immediately after training, in the hotel room, or between sessions on the mountain.
Medical setup in the hotel room: DUOLITH® SD1 T-TOP »ultra«, MAGNETOLITH® ultra+, MASTERPULS® icon and MASTERPULS® R-SW100
Treatment of Big Air athlete Annika Morgan after evening training using the mobile MASTERPULS® R-SW100 in the athlete zone
Mobile therapy in the middle of training
Mobility plays a key role in this context. The MASTERPULS® R-SW100 enables immediate and effective intervention directly within the training environment – without detours and without time loss.
The device is lightweight, quickly ready for use, and delivers powerful energy output. This makes it ideal for World Cups, training camps, and competition phases where every minute counts.
»In such competition phases, maximum load, limited recovery windows, and high mental pressure come together,« summarises Sebastian Sinz.
The support provided by STORZ MEDICAL’s ESWT and EMTT technologies – from preparation to daily clinical practice in Livigno – proved to be a key component in delivering professional medical care at the highest level.
