Athletic Trainers (ATs) are health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. At Active Physical Therapy, our Licensed Athletic Trainers work with athletes at some of the local high schools (Negaunee, Republic, Westwood and Ishpeming) and see patients in our clinics by providing hands-on support to our Physical Therapists.
Athletic Trainers have a special set of skills that make them a vital part of the sports medicine team. These skills can be used in a variety of settings such as competitive athletics (all levels), industrial work sites, physician offices, the military, performing arts, physical therapy, and others. A strong background in orthopedics and sports injury knowledge prepares them to handle a wide array of injuries from sprains and strains to fractures and concussions. They receive extensive training in immediate response to injury, as well as rehabilitation and prevention. This could encompass designing custom training and injury care programs, providing hands-on soft tissue work, and other modalities such as electrical stimulation and ultrasound.
An Athletic Trainer’s scope of practice is very unique, but can sometimes be confused with other like-named professions. If you’ve ever wondered if there is a difference between Licensed Athletic Trainers and Personal Trainers, this flyer published by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association can be very helpful to provide great information.
Becoming a Licensed Athletic Trainer is a fairly rigorous process. See us next week to understand what it takes to become an athletic trainer.