HJAR Sep/Oct 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS  I  SEP / OCT 2021 39 lete both time and money and makes it as easy as possible to receive the highest quality of therapy and rehabilitation. We commonly receive contact from ath- letic trainers throughout the day with a stu- dent athlete’s medical needs and are able to address them or get the student athlete seen the same day or first thing the next morning for full evaluation. These needs range from physical exams and coordinat- ing care with specialists to tracking down records or imaging or arranging follow ups. Overall, athletic trainers are a huge re- source at their school by assisting parents and student athletes with coordinated care. A few examples of this coordinated care that have occurred recently are: 1. A football player is in the weight room where he experiences a shift in his right shoulder while performing an overhead press. The athletic trainer performs an initial evaluation and is suspicious of a labral injury without instability of the shoulder joint. The athletic trainer performs right shoul- der stability rehab in the training room over the next couple of weeks leading up to spring football to help stabilize the joint. During fitting for his pads for the spring, he is placed in the appropriate shoulder brace. One week into full contact practice WE CAN ACCOMPLISH the highest safe- ty goals and provide the highest quality of care for our student athletes more ef- ficiently with a comprehensive, multidis- ciplinary sports medicine team. Athletic trainers, along with sports medicine phy- sicians and surgeons, create a team that provides medical care, nonoperative mus- culoskeletal care, physical therapy, ortho- pedic and surgical care. The future of sports medicine is a circle of rings. Each ring further from the cen- ter serves as an elevated level of specialty care.At the center of the rings is the student athlete. The next level is a certified athlet- ic trainer, followed by our sports medicine physicians and then sports orthopedic surgeons. The outer rings are comprised of specialized physical therapists, various subspecialty physicians and surgeons. The overall goal of the athletic trainer on the sports medicine team is to get the athlete back on his or her respective court, field or track as quickly — but most important- ly — as safely as possible. Athletic trainers are trained in general medical evaluation, first-aid and first response care, such as CPR and medical assessment, as well as a robust orthopedic skillset. Often, the re- habilitation care for musculoskeletal inju- ries present among athletes can be treated under the guidance of an athletic trainer. Overall, this saves the parent and the ath- Larry Balle II, MD, MPH Sports Medicine Arkansas Children’s Northwest of spring football, the athlete takes a hit while trying to make a tackle, and his shoulder dislocates. The athlet- ic trainer then reduces the shoulder on the field with their expertise and knowledge of musculoskeletal care. With the parents’ permission, the ath- lete is seen the next morning in the office by the sports medicine physi- cian, and an MRI is ordered, which subsequently shows a labral cartilage tear of the shoulder. This is a common injury that often occurs with a dislo- cated shoulder. The MRI is reviewed by the sports medicine specialist and the shoulder specialist for full evalua- tion. The care is then shifted to a sur- gical consult and visit facilitated and coordinated by the athletic trainer for the ease of the athlete and parent ac- cess. 2. The high school volleyball team is on the road in Oklahoma, and the setter takes a ball to the nose when going up for a block at the net. She experiences a noticeable deformity of her nasal bridge upon examination. The athletic trainer is able to call the sports medicine physician during the game and coordinates with an ENT surgeon for an evaluation, with par- ents’ approval, the following day. The “We commonly receive contact from athletic trainers throughout the day with a student athlete’s medical needs and are able to address them or get the student athlete seen the same day or first thing the next morning for full evaluation ... athletic trainers are a huge resource at their school by assisting parents and student athletes with coordinated care.”