Athletic trainers in high schools

There are more than 20,000 sports injury rehabilitation facilities in the United States, which employ over 140,000 people. It may seem sort of odd that there are so many centers like these that exist specifically for the care of and recovery for athletic injuries, but since athletes are being injured every day and need specialized care to be able to recover properly, there is a need for them. Here are a few answers to questions you may have about sports therapy.

Who are they?
Medical professionals who care for athletic injuries range from surgeons to sports doctors. There are also a number of other people involved in the sports physical therapy process, like certified athletic trainers to help an athlete train his or her body to be able to get back on the field or court. These people take care of the injury from start to finish, and an athlete can work with a number of different people before fully recovering from his or her injury.

What do they treat?
Common injuries that athletes sustain while playing or practicing include ankle sprains, muscle strains, lower back pain, elbow pain and injury, and bone fractures and breaks. Many of these injuries require a certain amount of time and therapy to properly heal and to strengthen the area of the injury before the athlete can engage in normal game activities.

How do they treat it?
Athletic health care typically involves physical therapy exercises after injuries. These are usually things like stretching, walking, core exercises, and weight lifting. Therapy can take anywhere from weeks to months depending on the athlete and the injury and might also involve equipment like braces, bandages, and other devices to help support the injury during recovery.

The reason there are so many sports injury rehabilitation facilities is that playing sports can be pretty dangerous and result in very serious injuries. Caring for athletic injuries is a specialized area of care and has become its own niche in the health care system. Research more here: sportmed.com