March is National Athletic Training Month. Athletic Training Month provides an opportunity to spread the word about the important roles Athletic Trainers (ATs) play in healthcare. ATs are health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical evaluation, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions.
When one thinks of an Athletic Trainer in action they often visualize the person responding to athletic injuries during sporting events such as football games. Although this is where my profession can trace its beginning to, and is part of my job responsibilities I greatly enjoy, it is important to realize that an AT’s skill set is desirable in an ever expanding number of settings. In the past 10-15 years I have seen the number of ATs increase from approximately 22,000 to more than 35,000 today as well as the evolution of our educational curriculum in an ever changing healthcare world (now more than 70% of ATs have obtained at least a master’s degree). This growth within the profession has exposed many people beyond just collegiate and professional athletes to the benefits of an available AT. High school athletic programs are increasingly acknowledging the importance of AT roles in appropriate concussion management and heat illness prevention and treatment. The performing arts, occupational health, clinical and hospital, and the military are areas of continued growth within the AT profession.
This month, to recognize National Athletic Training Month, Physical Therapy Consultants, Inc. will be offering half price ImPACT® Program concussion baseline testing to area youth sports participants on select dates. Please call 651-674-7589 for more information and to schedule a baseline test.
HAPPY NATIONAL ATHLETIC TRAINING MONTH!
Dustin Eslinger, MA, ATC
Athletic Trainer
PTC_therapy March 3rd, 2015
Posted In: General