The Athletic Health Care Team Athletic Training The Athletic Health Care Team

Athletic Training What is Athletic Training? Branch of medicine concerned with the medical aspects of sports participation. History of sports medicine: Dates back to the Greek and Roman times where there were athletes, coaches, trainers(personnel who helped the athlete reach top physical condition) and physicians who assisted the athletes to reach optimum performance.

Early Athletic Training Many of those earlier athletic trainers were persons of questionable background and experience. As a result it has taken many years to attain the status of a well- qualified allied health care professional.

Evolution of the Athletic Trainer Athletic Training has traditionally been known as the field that is concerned with athlete’s health and safety. Training refers to the act of coaching or teaching Trainer refers to someone who trains dogs or horses. The evolution of the athletic trainer occurred rapidly after WWI with the appearance of athletic trainer in intercollegiate athletics.

During this time period the major influence in developing the athletic trainer as a specialist in preventing and managing athletic injures from the work of Dr. S. E. Bilik. Dr. Bilik wrote the first major text on athletic training and care of athletic injuries call the Trainer’s Bible in 1917. In 1920s the Cramer family (Gardner, Kansas) started a chemical company producing liniment to treat ankle sprains. Cramer then began publishing the Fist Aider in 1932. This began the early development of the Athletic Training profession. In 1950 the first meeting of various athletic trainers from the country officially formed the NATA where the professional standards were formed.

Sports Medicine What is Sports Medicine? Branch of medicine concerned with the medical aspects of sports participation. Sports Medicine is defined as a field that uses a holistic, comprehensive, and multidisciplinary approach the health care for those engaged in sport or recreational activity. Define: Holistic-Dealing with wholes (integrated system) rather than the part. Comprehensive-to grasp the entire scope Multidisciplinary-studying or using several specialized subjects or skills

Sports Medicine Team Who makes up the sports medicine team? Athlete Athletic Trainer Coach Parents Physicians Physicians Assistants Strength/Conditioning Coach Sports Psychologist Nutritionist Exercise Physiologist

Types of Physicians Orthopedist- treats injuries and disorders of the musculoskeletal system Neurologist- treats injuries that occurs to the nervous system Internist-treats diseases and injuries of the internal organs. Ophthalmologist-manage and treats eye problems(optometrist provides glasses/contacts) Psychiatrist- deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illness.

Roles of Members Physicians role: Compiling medical history Diagnosing injuries Deciding on disqualifications Attending games Commitment to sports

Athletic Trainers role: Defined by the domains established by NATA Injury prevention and risk management Recognition, evaluation, and assessment of injuries Immediate care of injuries and illnesses Rehabilitation and reconditioning of athletic injuries Health care organization and administration Professional development and responsibility Holistic: Recognize, evaluate, care, rehabilitation, recondition of an injury ( holistic because it is the whole system and not just one aspect of an injury) Comprehensive- risk management, rehabilitation, organization, administration, professional development (comprehensive because it covers a wide area or many things) Multidisciplinary- anatomy, physiology, psychology, first aid, modalities, teaching, organization, administration (multidisciplinary because is covers several specialized subjects or skill set)

Becoming an Athletic Trainer Courses taken to become an Athletic Trainer from a CAATE program: Human Anatomy Human Physiology Exercise Physiology Kinesiology/Biomechanics Nutrition Statistics/Research Design Strength Training and Reconditioning Acute Care of Injury and Illnesses Risk Management Pathology of injury/illness Assessment of injury/illness General Medical conditions Therapeutic Modalities Therapeutic Exercise and Rehabilitation Health care administration Psychosocial intervention and referral Medical ethics and legal issues Pharmacology Professional development and responsibilities

Taking the National Exam and/or State Exam In addition to the formal education there is a Clinical Rotation over a course of a minimum of 2 years. Locations include Colleges/Universities Secondary Schools Professional Sports Physical Therapy Clinics Industrial Settings Hospitals Olympic Sports Taking the National Exam and/or State Exam

Maintaining Professional Certification As an Allied Health Professional, the athletic trainer must be an active member in professional organizations. The purpose of those organizations include To upgrade the field (of athletic training) by devising and maintaining a set of professional standards including a code of ethics. Bring together professionally competent individuals to exchange ideas, stimulate research, and promote critical thinking. To give individuals an opportunity to work as a group with singleness of purpose, thereby making it possible for them to achieve objectives that separately they could not accomplish.

Professional Organizations NATA- National Athletic Trainer Association SWATA- Southwest Athletic Trainer Association TSATA- Texas Athletic Trainer Association GHATS- Greater Houston Athletic Trainer Association ACSM- American College of Sports Medicine AOSSM- American Orthopedic Society of Sports Medicine NSCA- National Strength and Conditioning Association