So You Only Deal With Athletes, Right?

One of the many myths about Athletic Therapists is that we only deal with athletes and at that only those at the elite level.  Well yes the first word in our title is athletic but we are much broader than that.  As the Canadian Athletic Therapy Association states Athletic Therapy, is a rapid return to work and play.

As an Athletic Therapist I have worked with athletes as young a 8 to those who are still going past 40.  Clinically I have treated patients who have suffered injuries at work, from motor vehicle accidents to seniors looking to maintain their mobility.  No matter who the patient or athlete is they all receive that same care.  The goal for everyone is to get them back to sport or their normal life as soon as possible.

Athletic Therapists use an active model of care that includes contemporary rehab techniques, therapeutic modalities such as ultrasound, IFC, EMS, soft tissue mobilization, physical reconditioning and supportive taping.  We do everything to create an ideal environment for healing so that our patients and athletes can return to activity safely.

You will find Athletic Therapists working in a variety of areas including:

• Private sports medicine and therapy clinics
• Professional sports, such as the NHL, CFL, NBA, MLB
• Elite games, such as the Olympics, Pan Am, Canada Games
• Teaching or research at universities and colleges
• Minor, high school, amateur and varsity athletics
• Professional dance companies
• Sales and marketing for performance and rehabilitation brands
• Municipal government
• Industrial workplaces
• Insurance industry

So while many of us work with athletes on a daily basis in a field setting, we also deal with the weekend warrior, the new mom recovery from pregnancy, the airport rampee who got hurt at work and the senior recovering after a knee replacement.  No matter your level of activity, no matter your job, no matter your level of sport, Athletic Therapists are there to get you back in the game. 

Why Ice?

As you can gather from the name of this blog, I fully believe in icing injuries.  Any athlete or patient will tell you that I don't believe in heat only ice when it comes to treatment of musculoskeletal injuries.  There has been a lot of new information coming out saying that icing an acute injury is detrimental to healing.

When dealing with an acute injury the use of cryotherapy (application of cold) to the area is important for the first 24-48 hours.  The use of ice decreases pain and muscle spasm as well as blood flow, inflammation and edema.  This is due to the stop of tissue hypoxia and additional tissue injury.  When managing an acute injury the reduction of all of these aids in recovery and rehabilitation.

Reviews of research done on cryotherapy shows that more detailed studies need to be completed.  The research has proven that the application of ice on acute injuries does decrease pain, which will decrease spasm caused by the pain-spasm cycle.  Since muscle spasm decreases range of motion, this decrease in pain will lead to earlier improvement in range of motion and subsequent earlier start to rehabilitation.

The principle of RICE is still the standard when dealing with acute injuries.  Rest, ice, compress and elevate the injured area for the first 24-48 hours.  When icing on average for topical application the ice should be applied for around 20 minutes depending upon the size of the area needing treatment and the depth of soft tissue.  Topical application will reduce tissue temperature to a depth between 2 - 4 cm.

When applying ice, no matter the mode there are 4 sensations that you will experience.  Starting with cold, progressing to burning, achy/dull and finally numb.  When determining how often to apply the ice, the area needs to come back to normal body temperature before reapplying.

No matter the type of soft tissue injury, be it sprain, strain, contusion or post operative the application of ice is the still the best way to decrease pain and inflammation without the use of medications after an acute injury.

Articles used
Hubbard, T.J & Denegar, C.R. Does Cryotherapy Improve Outcomes with Soft Tissue Injury? Journal of Athletic Training. 2004 Jul-Sep; 39(3): 278-279
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC522152/

Nadler, S.F, Weingand, K, Kruse, R.J. The Physiologic Basis and Clinical Applications of Cryotherapy and Thermotherapy for the Pain Practitioner Pain Physician.  2004;7:395-399, ISSN 1533-3159
http://www.painphysicianjournal.com/2004/july/2004;7;395-399.pdf

What is an Athletic Therapist?

I am pretty sure when I told my parents I was going to be an Athletic Therapist my dad had a heart attack.  He had no clue what it was but was pretty sure he didn't want his baby girl being one.  Since that moment I have spent a major part of my life explaining what it is I do and what an Athletic Therapist is, even to those who think they know.

So what is an Athletic Therapist?  Well we are health care professionals who are trained in the areas prevention, immediate care and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries.  We work with athletes from the young hockey player and the weekend warrior to the professional and Olympic level athletes.  No matter the level or sport we are there.  Be it at the rink, field, court, studio, gym or clinic we want to support athletes in achieving their goals.  Not only do we treat athletes we can work with general public helping them overcome injuries that they receive either at work or home.

So what do we do?  Everything.  We can help with equipment, tape any joint you prefer, assess your injury on site and rehab you from there to return to play.  We are the first ones there and the last ones to leave.  The best analogy I have heard to describe us is "mom".  We know when our athletes are hurt before they do, if they are having a bad day and how to fix it.

My daughter says I fix football players owies by putting bandaids on them.  My husband laughs because I love the smell of a hockey rink.  I can fix anything with a roll of athletic tape, and hate being called "trainer".  I have slept on treatment tables, numerous buses and even bags of equipment.  The long hours, endless bus rides are worth it.  Being able make a difference in my athletes lives is worth it, because that is what we do.  

For more information on what Certified Athletic Therapists can do please check out www.eliteinjury.com and www.athletictherapy.org.