What do you make?

I found this posted on one of my Facebook friends’ profile this morning. I re-posted it and have been amazed how much I’ve seen it tonight since then. Maybe it’s just that I have too many athletic trainer friends on Facebook from all over the country

Oh.. you’re a trainer?? (NO! I’m an Athletic Trainer, not a trainer)

Going to Rehab: Continuing Education

Athletic Trainers, along with many healthcare professionals, must keep up-to-date and stay current with new research and new techniques. In this post, I’ll discuss the requirements of the Certified Athletic Trainer and how all of these athletic trainers maintain their certification along with their state licenses where applicable.

Going to Rehab: Emergency Preparedness

Going to Rehab is a weekly series where I talk about anything athletic training. Over the past few weeks, I have tried to discuss topics about a certain part of athletic training. Contrary to the name, I have not yet covered much in the way of rehab. Don’t worry– that is coming!

This week’s topic is Emergency Preparedness. As healthcare providers responsible for athletic injuries, the Certified Athletic Trainer must be ready for anything. It is not unusual for the athletic trainer to be the only healthcare provider onsite at an athletic event and therefore we are responsible for emergencies that may occur on the field.

Going to Rehab: Manual Therapy

Welcome to another edition of Going to Rehab. I have struggled this fall to keep updated here and keeping this series going. I do try to write athletic training articles, but sometimes falter. I apologize. I continue to try to do better!

This week I’m going to talk about manual therapy. When I was in college, I thought it was a waste of time. Manual therapy, to me, meant massage and it meant beating up my hands. It also meant rubbing smelly concoctions of chemicals such as Flex-All or BioFreeze on an athlete’s legs or whatever. It was definitely not my cup of tea.

Fast forward to today where I have realized that manual therapy is an excellent way to improve outcomes and help your athletes perform!

Athletic Training Tidbits

This week’s edition of “Going to Rehab” is just several tidbits from the week..

I have actually put up a few posts this week regarding athletic training. Hopefully you’ve seen them! The Advocates for Injured Athletes organization is a big deal to me. Please make sure you’ve read that post and check out their website. Their videos are spot-on and I really appreciate the work they are doing. I also posted earlier in the week about Concussion Management. I think schools, teams, athletes, and administrators along with medical personnel are finally catching on. Change was desperately needed and I think it is finally happening! I have worked hard to spearhead that effort in my area and especially at my high school.

Going to Rehab: Paperwork

Paperwork is a part of just about all jobs. Athletic Training is no different. I spend plenty of time each day doing paperwork. Some of it is related to my job as an athletic trainer; other stuff is related to my fitness responsibilities. Within my athletic training responsibilities, I have to complete injury reports, injury consultation forms, supply inventory, and keep reports on my hours worked. Certain injuries also require additional specific requirements.

For example, when I evaluate a concussion I complete a SCAT 2 evaluation packet (4 pages), a Head Injury Notification Form, and an injury consultation form. Then, I have to notify the parents normally and also notify school administrators and the school nurse so that she can notify the student-athlete’s teachers.

I track a lot of information. Not only do I complete the consult forms that we’re required to do and the weekly injury reports for the coaches, I also detail each injury in an Excel document so that I will be able to go back later and look at any trends or show my worth.

It takes a lot of work and it’s a part of the job most don’t enjoy, but it must be done. As they say, “if it’s not documented, it didn’t happen!”

Going to Rehab

This blog has slowly developed more into an Athletic Training blog than the fitness blog I had originally intended. I’m fine with that and it will continue to evolve. This newest feature which will launch this Thursday is called “Going to Rehab.” It will be a weekly series talking about everything and anything Athletic Training.

 

And for a little fun to kick it off…