Why Modern Athletes Need More Than Treatment: ISIC's Sugandh Ahluwalia Explains

As India's sporting ambitions continue to grow across Olympic disciplines, franchise leagues and grassroots participation, athlete health, rehabilitation and recovery have become more critical than ever. From overuse injuries and burnout to mental resilience and cutting-edge recovery technologies, sports medicine is undergoing a major transformation.

In an exclusive interaction with myKhel, Sugandh Ahluwalia, Chief Strategy Officer of ISIC Multispeciality Hospital, discusses the evolution of sports rehabilitation, Major HPS Ahluwalia's enduring legacy, the rise of preventive care, and how India can build a stronger ecosystem for athletes and para-athletes alike. Here are the excerpts:

Q: Major HPS Ahluwalia's journey continues to inspire generations. How does his legacy influence ISIC's approach today?

Sugandh Ahluwalia: Major HPS Ahluwalia completely transformed how rehabilitation was viewed in India. Following his spinal injury during the 1965 war, he dedicated his life to helping people regain dignity, independence and purpose. That philosophy remains at the heart of ISIC today.

For us, rehabilitation goes beyond treating an injury. It is about restoring mobility, confidence, emotional strength and the ability to live independently. Whether we are working with spinal injury patients, para-athletes or individuals recovering from complex orthopaedic conditions, our focus is on long-term recovery and inclusive mobility care.

His belief that every individual has an "Everest within" continues to inspire our culture of resilience and possibility.

Q: How have sports injuries and rehabilitation changed over the past decade?

Sugandh Ahluwalia: Sports injuries have become far more complex. Athletes today compete throughout the year, participate in franchise leagues and specialize earlier than ever before. As a result, we are seeing more overuse injuries, stress-related conditions and recurring performance issues.

The biggest shift has been in rehabilitation itself. Earlier, the focus was on treating an injury. Today, recovery includes movement analysis, workload management, nutrition, mental health and performance optimization.

The goal is no longer simply returning athletes to competition but helping them return to peak performance safely and sustainably.

Q: Are overuse injuries becoming a growing concern among young athletes?

Sugandh Ahluwalia: Absolutely. Early specialization, repetitive training cycles and inadequate recovery are contributing to a significant rise in overuse injuries among younger athletes.

We are seeing stress fractures, ACL injuries, tendon problems and chronic fatigue at increasingly younger ages. Social media-driven fitness culture has also created pressure on people to constantly push their physical limits without understanding recovery requirements.

This is why preventive rehabilitation and prehabilitation have become so important. Modern sports medicine must identify biomechanical issues, muscular imbalances and movement inefficiencies before they develop into serious injuries.

Q: How important is mental conditioning during rehabilitation?

Sugandh Ahluwalia: It is absolutely essential because recovery is never purely physical.

Athletes often struggle with fear of re-injury, performance anxiety and uncertainty about their future. In many cases, the body recovers before confidence returns.

At ISIC, we integrate counselling, mental conditioning, confidence-building and structured rehabilitation milestones into the recovery process. Sustainable recovery happens when physical rehabilitation and psychological readiness progress together.

As Major Ahluwalia often said, "Life is all about conquering the summit of the mind." That philosophy remains central to our approach.

Q: What role do biomechanics and recovery science play in modern sport?

Sugandh Ahluwalia: They are now central to athlete longevity.

Many recurring injuries stem from poor movement patterns, improper load distribution and biomechanical imbalances rather than the injury itself. Technologies such as gait analysis, force-plate assessments and digital movement screening allow us to identify these issues much earlier.

Recovery science has also advanced dramatically through hydrotherapy, neuromuscular rehabilitation, regenerative therapies, nutrition planning, sleep optimization and active recovery protocols.

The focus today is predictive and preventive rather than reactive.

Q: How do technologies like hydrotherapy and robotics-assisted rehabilitation improve recovery outcomes?

Sugandh Ahluwalia: The key lies in integration.

Hydrotherapy allows athletes to regain movement with reduced stress on joints, while robotics-assisted rehabilitation helps restore mobility in a controlled and precise manner.

Combined with gait analysis, nutrition support, psychological counselling and minimally invasive interventions, these technologies create a complete recovery ecosystem that accelerates healing while reducing the risk of recurring injuries.

Q: What are the biggest global advancements in sports medicine and neurorehabilitation today?

Sugandh Ahluwalia: Sports medicine is becoming increasingly technology-driven and personalised.

Some of the biggest advancements include robotics-assisted rehabilitation, AI-powered movement analysis, wearable recovery monitoring systems, virtual reality-based neurorehabilitation and precision biomechanics.

India has adapted to many of these developments faster than people realize. The next challenge is ensuring accessibility and availability beyond major metropolitan centres.

Q: How is ISIC supporting para-athletes and wheelchair users?

Sugandh Ahluwalia: This has always been central to our mission.

Our focus extends beyond medical stabilization to restoring independence, confidence and quality of life. Through adaptive rehabilitation, mobility training, assistive technologies, counselling and vocational guidance, we aim to help individuals participate fully in society.

Adaptive sports and physical activity also play a vital role in emotional recovery and confidence-building. Rehabilitation should empower individuals to live active, independent and fulfilling lives.

Q: What mistakes do athletes commonly make when returning from injury?

Sugandh Ahluwalia: One of the biggest mistakes is assuming that the absence of pain means complete recovery.

Many athletes return too soon without fully regaining strength, mobility, balance and stability. Others skip structured rehabilitation and progression protocols altogether.

We emphasize return-to-play decisions based on functional recovery markers rather than timelines. Recovery must address the root cause of the injury, not just the symptoms.

Q: What gaps still exist in India's sports rehabilitation ecosystem?

Sugandh Ahluwalia: India has made tremendous progress in athlete development, but rehabilitation infrastructure still needs greater attention.

Access to sports medicine, biomechanics assessments, sports psychology and preventive screening remains limited outside major urban centres. There is also a need to move from a treatment-focused mindset to a preventive and performance-focused culture.

As India aims to become a global sporting powerhouse, rehabilitation, mental resilience, recovery science and long-term athlete health must receive the same importance as performance and results.