What is an Athletic Trainer

While both are casually referred to as “trainers”, personal trainer and athletic trainers are two very different roles. Personal trainers generally work in gyms and health clubs, helping the general public improve their level of fitness; Athletic trainers are most often found at colleges, hospitals, clinics and with professional sporting or performance organizations, helping patients or athletes recuperate from injuries and safely continue to participate in sports and physically demanding professions. Below, we’ll dive into the two professions in greater detail:

Personal Trainers

Personal trainers evaluate a person’s fitness level and then design with an exercise program to improve the individual’s health, cardiovascular endurance and body composition. They teach clients how to perform exercises properly, while creating an atmosphere of accountability. Personal trainers with additional credentialing can also education clients on how to live a healthier lifestyle, coaching them on nutrition basics and recovery strategies.

While there is no governing body for personal training, it’s highly recommended to select a personal trainer who has completed a certification program; there are several institutions that offer certifications in personal training, including the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). However, some people may prefer to work with a coach who has learned personal experience in fitness such as a former athlete, rather than someone who has completed a certification program. In any arrangement, it is important to start smart-

1. Check with your doctor before beginning a new fitness program

2. Opt for simple movement patterns at low to moderate weights while you are still learning to limit your risk of injury

3. Stay hydrated and take rest breaks as needed

4. Stop exercising if you feel dizzy, lightheaded, nauseated, experience chest pain, or have an unexpectedly difficult time breathing

5. Don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with

Athletic Trainers

Athletic trainers are clinicians who provide injury preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis of injuries, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of both injuries and medical conditions. Athletic training is recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA), Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as an allied health care profession. As a part of the healthcare system, athletic trainers work under the direction of a physician, and work collaboratively with physical therapists, massage therapists, and chiropractors. As part of an athletic department, they partner with the coaching and strength and conditioning staff, as well as nutrition and sport psychology teams to promote the overall health of the athlete.

Athletic trainers undergo rigorous academic and clinical training, supervised by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The current minimum entry point into the profession of athletic training is at the master’s level. Upon completion of a CAATE-accredited athletic training education program, students become eligible for national certification by successfully completing the Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC) examination. Once certified, athletic trainers are required to complete several hours of continuing education every year in an effort to ensure all professions remain current on the latest recommendations within sports medicine.

Comprehensive Care

There’s not a lot of crossover between the two occupations. This isn’t to say the roles can’t go hand in hand. After working with an athletic trainer to rehabilitate a sprained ankle, for example, an athlete may choose to enlist the help of a personal trainer to return his strength and endurance to the levels they were before the injury.

Physical TheraPT is a multi-faceted clinic, centered on patient success. By placing the individual at the hub of the system, instead of siloing by speciality, we’re able to streamline a truly comprehensive recovery. Our athletes are able to seamlessly work with the professionals they need- physical therapists, athletic trainers, massage therapists, and strength coaches- all in one place. Our athletic trainer offers:

• Urgent Injury Assessment: Streamline your recovery by seeing an athletic trainer first. With extensive orthopedic education, athletic trainers are able to quickly determine the severity of an injury, determine next-steps and make referrals to local physicians, and provide you with home care instructions

• Rehab: Apply the same proven approaches used with elite athletes to your unique situation and goals. Our expertise includes post-operative rehab, as well as rehab for both chronic and acute injuries and conditions.

• Return-to-Play Training: We offer evidence-based programs, utilizing technology like force plates, dynamometer testing, blood flow restriction training (BFR), biofeedback and motion analysis to formulate your plan. Following a comprehensive evaluation, we can problem-solve with you to optimize your movement potential.

• Injury Prevention: By using similar tools as detailed above, we are able to assess athletes and individuals before an injury occurs. Underlying movement compensations and imbalances are often evident even in healthy athletes. By prescribing corrective exercise strategies, and customized strength and conditioning programming, these vulernabilities can be targeted.

To learn more, check out these resources:

1. American Counsel on Exercise

2. National Athletic Trainers’ Association

3. National Academy of Sports Medicine

4. CT.gov

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Flexor Hallucis Longus Tendinopathy: Part II

If the symptoms from the last post sound familiar, it’s important to seek care to prevent the condition from advancing. The good news is FHL tendinopathy does not require imaging for diagnosis. You can see a PT or AT directly- they’ll evaluate and diagnose your condition, and will refer you to a physician as needed.

After assessing your leg, your clinician will be able to ascertain contributing factors that led to the injury and how to address them with an individualized exercise program including neuromuscular re-education and functional training. Neuromuscular re-education helps reprogram the way you move- focusing on specific muscle activation and timing. This strategy takes the whole kinetic chain into consideration, looking for inefficient habits that may seem unrelated to your injury.

For example, many athletes diagnosed with FHL tendinopathy present with excessive pronation- or arch collapsing- a faulty pattern that can contribute to overloading the FHL in running. Strengthening the hip, pelvis and core muscles, combined with improved running mechanics can reduce this problem for the long term!

If you are able to see a clinician in-person, manual therapy may be beneficial to reduce inflammation, muscular tension, and any joint stiffness.  

Until your appointment, follow these recommendations at home:

1. Rest from the aggravating activity - running, dancing, etc.

2. For pain management, try over the counter NSAIDs (ie Advil, Aleve)

3. Use contrast therapy to reduce inflammation:

   • Submerge foot for 10-15’ total following the pattern below:

     • 2-3’ in ice water

     • 2-3’ warm water

     • 2-3’ ice water

     • 2-3’ warm water

     • 2-3’ ice water

4. Self-massage the outer calf by rolling with a tennis ball or something similar on the floor

5. Perform a seated calf stretch with a towel at the toes, being sure to pull the big toe back with the foot

Lumbar Disc Pathology: Part II

If you’ve experienced a disc injury before, you’ll know immediate care is all about triaging. You need strategies to help you deal with the pain now and a plan to tackle this ASAP! Depending on your symptoms and how you got hurt, we recommend making appointments with both your physician and a rehabilitation specialist.

A physician will be able to write prescriptions, as appropriate, while ATs and PTs will be able to address your pain from a mechanical perspective. There is tons of evidence supporting various treatment modalities for the management of lumbar disc pathologies. The focus is pain resolution, restoration of function and any associated neurologic deficits associated. 

At your appointment, your clinician will perform an in-depth evaluation and establish a treatment plan to address your specific and unique symptoms. This will often include:

• Mobility exercises for muscle, joint, and even nerves

• Stabilization exercises focused on trunk control and strengthening

• Proprioception, coordination, and balance training

• Functional conditioning 

• Phased return to sport / activity program

While you’re waiting for your appointment, there are several strategies you can try to safely mitigate your symptoms. Often, disc-related low back pain is aggravated by prolonged flexion, or bending at the waist.

1. Try to limit time sitting by standing or walking when you can.

2. Modify your work environment to allow for standing, taking seated breaks as needed. Get creative- using books, boxes or other household items to create an make-shift ergonomic solution.

3. When sitting, use a pillow or support behind your low back to limit rounding of the low back, or slumping.

4. Raising your seat height, whether in a desk chair or in the car, can help you avoid a posterior tilt of the pelvis. This position puts stretch through the muscles and nerves of the low back.

5. Rest lying down if unable to tolerate sitting. Try bending your knees, planting your feet on the ground to help maintain a neutral spine.

6. Use heat to help relax muscle spasm or guarding.

7. Avoid intense stretches for now- while they may feel good in the moment, this can increase muscle spasm.

8. Over the counter pain meds such as NSAIDs can help reduce pain. Double check each individual brand for dosage recommendations.