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When a high school athlete sustains an injury that will require surgery, a simple question from parents typically get asks: Where should we take him\/her for rehabilitation?\u201d As an Athletic Trainer, this may feel like a slap in the face, as you would expect to do the rehabilitation yourself. But is this best for your athlete, given all the other responsibilities you have throughout the day?<\/p>\n
Athletic Training in the High\u00a0School Setting<\/span><\/p>\n Certified Athletic Trainers, by definition, are healthcare professionals who collaborate with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. ATs are fully capable of returning nearly any injured athlete back to full participation. The education prepares not only to evaluate and assess on and off the field injuries, but to manage, rehabilitate, and return an athlete to their sport as quickly and safely as possible.<\/p>\n While many Athletic Trainers enjoy the sport coverage and on-site care of athletes, many equally enjoy the \u201cbehind the scenes\u201d rehabilitation that takes place in the Athletic Training Room (ATR). But is this where they should be spending their time, in the ATR, rehabilitating athletes when others are on the field or court practicing? In a recent study, Pryor et al. revealed that athletic trainers worked more often at games and competition than at practices, placing athletes at a substantial risk of injury during a larger portion of sport participation.<\/p>\n This begs the question: What should be the primary role of the secondary school athletic trainer?\u00a0Should the focus remain with the on field management and practice coverage, or the behind the scenes rehabilitation in the ATR?<\/p>\n What Is the Primary Role of an Athletic Trainer?<\/span><\/p>\n Based on the 5 (or 6 depending on the source)\u00a0domains of Athletic Training, it can be argued that the primary role of the secondary school Athletic Trainer should be injury prevention, wellness protection, and immediate emergency care. Hence, the vast majority of time should be spent on the field or court observing the sport where the risk for injury is highest. Of course this mean time not spent in the ATR performing modality treatments or rehabilitation.<\/p>\n Other members of the sports medicine team, such as the physical\u00a0therapist (PT),\u00a0can and should be called upon to assist with rehabilitation.\u00a0In the athlete-centered model of care, a\u00a0team of healthcare professionals is responsible for returning an athlete to sport. In this model, a symbiotic relationship coexists with all the members of the sports medicine team where communication is imperative and everyone is working together towards a common goal. Any injury, acute or chronic, that you feel will take more than a day or two to heal,\u00a0offers\u00a0the prime opportunity to\u00a0collaborate with a PT, MD, and other members of the medical team.<\/p>\n Using the athlete-centered model effectively not only\u00a0makes\u00a0an athlete\u2019s quick and\u00a0safe return to sport\u00a0more likely, but also allows the secondary school athletic trainer to remain out of the ATR and on the field or court \u2013 limiting exposure to risk and liability.<\/p>\n What Does an Athletic Trainer Gain by Collaborating With a Physical Therapist?<\/span><\/p>\n So, what do you gain from \u201coutsourcing\u201d your athletes to a PT for rehabilitation a couple times a week? First, is more time on the field ,watching the action, and being available in case a situation arises where you are needed to provide care.\u00a0By opening your time to be spent at practices, you can enhance\u00a0relationships with your athletes and coaching staff. Second, you may also find that developing a relationship with a specific PT, clinic, or MD office, can have \u2018trickle down\u2019 benefits such as having them donate items like braces, crutches, and taping supplies to help you manage your (already limited) budget. Once a relationship is established, you may\u00a0consider\u00a0developing a weekly \u201cdoctor hours\u201d triage clinic where you can have the PT come to the school and re-assess nagging injuries or complaints from your athletes.\u00a0Taking this initiative will not only earn you respect with the coaching staff and medical community, but it can further help establish your relationships with the parents of your injured athlete. Finally, you may also\u00a0ask the\u00a0PT if the\u00a0clinic\u00a0would be willing to serve as an in-between, sort of a \u201csecond opinion\u201d,\u00a0for parents who think their child may need further diagnosis or imaging. This could save the parents hundreds of dollars, and demonstrate that you really are placing the athlete\u2019s care and needs first and foremost, creating a positive image for yourself and the athletic training profession.<\/p>\n Takeaways<\/span><\/p>\n From\u00a0personal experience, it can be hard to let another healthcare professional do a job that\u00a0you are more than qualified to perform. If you are willing to share the responsibility in the rehabilitation of the injured athlete, you are creating a safer environment at your school. Taking the lead\u00a0in this process helps you build stronger\u00a0relationships with athletes and their parents, the coaching staff at your school, and the medical community as a whole.<\/p>\n