What is an Athletic Trainer?
Athletic training is practiced by athletic trainers, health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to optimize activity and participation of patients and clients. Athletic training encompasses the prevention, diagnosis, and intervention of emergency, acute, and chronic medical conditions involving impairment, functional limitations, and disabilities.
Students who want to become certified athletic trainers must earn a degree from an accredited athletic training curriculum. Accredited programs include formal instruction in areas such as injury/illness prevention, first aid and emergency care, assessment of injury/illness, human anatomy and physiology, therapeutic modalities, and nutrition. Classroom learning is enhanced through clinical education experiences. More than 70 percent of certified athletic trainers hold at least a master’s degree.
Athletic Training is NOT the same profession as personal training.
Who Am I?
Ashley Austin, MEd, LAT, ATC
2002 Graduate of South Forsyth High School
2006 Graduate of the University of South Carolina with a BS in Physical Education with a concentration in athletic training
2008 Graduate of Auburn University with a Master of Education in Physical Education
I worked for two years with The Orthopedic Clinic in Opelika, Alabama as an outreach athletic trainer for local high schools. I began working at WFHS in 2008 as a physical education teacher and certified athletic trainer through the Atlanta Rehabilitation and Performance physical therapy group.
I work all football events (practice as well as home and away games) with the help of a staff of student managers. These student managers will help keep the athletes hydrated before, during, and after practice as well as allow me more time to give medical attention to any player necessary.
My purpose as an athletic trainer is to work in close contact with our team physician and physical therapy group to diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate all of our athletes.
What is a Concussion?
A concussion is a brain injury that is caused by a sudden blow to the head or to the body. The blow shakes the brain inside the skull, which temporarily prevents the brain from working normally.
Some people have obvious symptoms of a concussion while others may not. With rest, most people recover fully from concussions within a few hours to a few weeks.
On rare occasions, concussions can cause more serious problems. Repeated concussions or a severe concussion may require surgery or lead to long-lasting problems with movement, learning, or speaking.
Special Considerations for the Young Athlete
26. Athletic trainers working with younger (pediatric) athletes should be aware that recovery may take longer than in older athletes. Additionally, these younger athletes are maturing at a relatively fast rate and will likely require more frequent updates of baseline measures compared with older athletes.
27. Many young athletes experience sport-related concussion. Athletic trainers should play an active role in helping to educate young athletes, their parents, and coaches about the dangers of repeated concussions. Continued research into the epidemiology of sport-related concussion in young athletes and prospective investigations to determine the acute and long-term effects of recurrent concussions in younger athletes are warranted.
28. Because damage to the maturing brain of a young athlete can be catastrophic (ie, almost all reported cases of second-impact syndrome are in young athletes), athletes under age 18 years should be managed more conservatively, using stricter RTP guidelines than those used to manage concussion in the more mature athlete.
Home Care
29. An athlete with a concussion should be instructed to avoid taking medications except acetaminophen after the injury. Acetaminophen and other medications should be given only at the recommendation of a physician. Additionally, the athlete should be instructed to avoid ingesting alcohol, illicit drugs, or other substances that might interfere with cognitive function and neurological recovery.
30. Any athlete with a concussion should be instructed to rest, but complete bed rest is not recommended. The athlete should resume normal activities of daily living as tolerated while avoiding activities that potentially increase symptoms. Once he or she is symptom free, the athlete may resume a graded program of physical and mental exertion, without contact or risk of concussion, up to the point at which post concussion signs and symptoms recur. If symptoms appear, the exertion level should be scaled back to allow maximal activity without triggering symptoms.
31. An athlete with a concussion should be instructed to eat a well-balanced diet that is nutritious in both quality and quantity.
32. An athlete should be awakened during the night to check on deteriorating signs and symptoms only if he or she experienced LOC, had prolonged periods of amnesia, or was still experiencing significant symptoms at bedtime. The purpose of the wake-ups is to check for deteriorating signs and symptoms, such as decreased levels of consciousness or increasing headache, which could indicate a more serious head injury or a late-onset complication, such as an intracranial bleed.
33. Oral and written instructions for home care should be given to the athlete and to a responsible adult who will observe and supervise the athlete during the acute phase of the concussion while at home. The ATC will provide written instructions for the athlete to take home the day of initial onset.
Evaluating and Making the Return-to-Play Decision
6. Working together, ATCs and team physicians should agree on a philosophy for managing sport-related concussion before the start of the athletic season. Currently 3 approaches are commonly used: (1) grading the concussion at the time of the injury, (2) deferring final grading until all symptoms have resolved, or (3) not using a grading scale but rather focusing attention on the athlete’s recovery via symptoms, neurocognitive testing, and postural-stability testing. After deciding on an approach, the ATC-physician team should be consistent in its use regardless of the athlete, sport, or circumstances surrounding the injury.
11. Once symptom free, the athlete should be reassessed to establish that cognition and postural stability have returned to normal for that player, preferably by comparison with pre-injury baseline test results. The RTP decision should be made after an incremental increase in activity with an initial cardiovascular challenge, followed by sport-specific activities that do not place the athlete at risk for concussion. The athlete can be released to full participation as long as no recurrent signs or symptoms are present.
Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion:
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Blurry Vision
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Fatigue
Feeling “in a fog”
Headache
Inappropriate Emotions
Irritability
Loss of Consciousness
Loss of Orientation
Memory Problems
Nausea
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Nausea
Nervousness
Personality Change
Poor Balance/ Coordination
Poor Concentration
Ringing in the Ears
Sensitivity to Light
Sensitivity to Noise
Sleep Disturbance
Vacant Stare/ Glassy Eyed
Vomiting
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Symptoms for a Physician Referral:
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Day of Onset:
1. Decrease in level of consciousness
2. Decrease or irregularity in respirations
3. Decrease or irregularity in pulse
4. Deteriorating neurological function
5. Unequal, dilated, or nonreactive pupils
6. Mental status changes: lethargy, difficulty maintaining arousal, confusion, or agitation
7. Seizures
8. Vomiting
9. Post concussion symptoms that worsen
10. Additional post concussion symptoms than evaluation
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After Day of Onset:
1. Post concussion symptoms worsen or do not improve over time
2. Increase in the number of post concussion symptoms reported
3. Post concussion symptoms begin to interfere with the athlete's daily activities (ie, sleep disturbances or cognitive difficulties)
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*Information from the National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement:
Management of Sport-Related Concussion
Heat Illness and Hydration
There are traditionally three classifications of heat illness: heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Heat illness is more likely in hot, humid weather but can also happen without such conditions.
-Heat Cramps
-Usually during and after intense exercise
-Sudden, painful, involuntary muscle contraction
-Caused by dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and/or fatigue
-Heat Exhaustion
-Inability to continue exercise associated with any combination of heavy sweating, dehydration, sodium loss, and energy depletion.
-Usually occurs in hot, humid conditions
-Signs and symptoms include: muscle cramps, weakness, fainting, dizziness, decreased urine output, and a normal to slightly elevated core body temperature (>97 - < 104)
-Heat Stroke
-Elevated core body temperature (>104)
-Central nervous system changes (dizziness, irritability, confusion, disorientation, loss of consciousness)
-This condition is life threatening and must be medically treated
Prevention:
-Students need to minimize or eliminate consumption of sodas, coffee, tea, and energy drinks
-Educate athletes to remain well hydrated
-Fluid out (sweat, urine) = Fluid in (water, Gatorade)
-Urine should be clear to a light yellow color
-Proper sleep (6-8 hours) and a well balanced diet
-Allow 2-3 hours for fluids and foods to digest before practice
-Student athletes need to be drinking at least half their body weight, in ounces, of water a day (for example, if an athlete weighs 200lbs, they should be drinking 100oz of water daily)
Recognition and Treatment:
-Heat Cramps
-Stop activity, replace lost fluids with sodium containing fluids
-Mild stretching, massage, and ice to the area
-Heat Exhaustion
-Measure core body temperature
-Check mental status
-Remove excess clothing to facilitate body cooling
-Use fans, cold towels, or ice bags to cool the body
-Fluid replacement
-Transfer to a physician if symptoms don't begin to subside
-Heat Stroke
-Measure core body temperature rectally
-Check mental status
-Lower body temperature as quickly as possible
-Remove excess clothing, emerse the body into a pool or tub of cold water
-Remove from the tub when the body temperature reaches about 101 to 102 degrees
-Transportation to a medical facility
Medical Contacts
Atlanta Rehabilitation and Performance
1735 Buford Highway
Suite 310
Cumming, GA 30041
(770) 887 – 0502
Dominion Orthopedics
Dr. Eric Steenlage
5830 Bond Street
Suite 200
Cumming, GA 30040
(770) 455 – 4009
North Atlanta Family Practice
Dr. Sohel Momin
Internal Medicine
2320 Atlanta Highway
Suite 105
Cumming, GA 30040
(770) 844 - 0877
