Running Head: Entering the Discourse

Entering the Discourse

Ariana J. Rodarte

The University of Texas at El Paso






















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Athletic training programs across the nation incorporate their own methods
of rehabilitation, techniques, and knowledge into their programs. Each program is
different when it comes to performing these kinds of methods. For instance, some
may be more technologically advanced than other programs; though, many of these
programs share similar techniques. This field of study is constantly incorporating
new ideas and technology into its programs. The improvements in technology have
helped provide resources for athletic trainers to help recuperate athletes faster and more
effectively from an injury. The focus of this paper will be on whether or not athletic
trainers education is important when implementing the techniques and methods
being used on athletes, and do the techniques and the use of these methods is truly
affective for the athletes.
There has been much debate as to whether or not the treatments performed
on athletes by athletic trainers in the training room, are effectivemany of which
are referred to as placebo. The placebo effect is a belief that one has received a
beneficial treatmentplacebo effects do in fact influence performance competition
Beedie, Coleman, & Foad (2007). Placebos are also referred to as rituals athletes
must do before a game. These rituals are customary behaviors of an individual or a
sport; Beedie, Coleman, & Foad (2007). These can vary from listening to certain
songs or a type of music right before a game, to wearing their lucky clothing. Many
of these athletes believe this will help their performance because it helped them the
last game. Another example is a study examining the administration of a
hypothetical ergogenic aid in sports. All subjects completed 3 x 30m sprints, after
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group 1 was given the positive information of the effects on the ergogenic aid, and
group 2 was given the negative information. After this was done, the subjects were
all asked to the sprints 20 minutes later. Group 1 mean speed did not differgroup 2
ran 1.57% slower that at baseline. Beedie, Coleman, & Foad (2007). This is a perfect
example of what a placebo effect can do.
Like anything, sports medicine is constantly undergoing new changes and
advances to improve this field of study. According to Delforge and Behnke (1999),
the NATA was founded with a stated purpose to build and strengthen the profession
of athletic training through the change in ideas, knowledge and methods of athletic
training. (53) With the constant growth of this field, athletic trainers must always keep
up to date with what is going on. As an athletic trainer, they are to incorporate what they
have been taught, learned, and read and apply them to their individual methods. By
developing critical thinking skills within your profession, individuals become more
disciplined in their judgment and technique (Fuller, 1997). By this, athletic trainers must
always be on their toes and know their information to be able to better assist the athlete
that needs assistance. Along with that, they must be able to keep up to date with
techniques to be able to help the athlete the best way possible. A key source of
information for athletic trainers is reading the correct literature in order to apply it to
current issues and in their specific field and profession (Delwiche & Hall, 2007).
Not only do athletic trainers need to be informed through the books, but through
hands on experience as well. Athletic trainers use hands-on techniques to assess and treat
sports-related injuries. As a student athletic trainer at The University of Texas at El Paso,
most of the equipment used in the training room includes:
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Tape- help stabilize joints when practicing or during a game or match
Bandages (band-aids, ACE wraps, gauze pads, etc.)
Braces for knees, ankles, wrists, elbows, shins, etc.
Hot/cold whirlpools- used before and after practice, workouts, or games
Ultrasound machines- a technique that is uses sound waves that give off heat to
target the tissues in the body. The most common types of injuries that usually
require ultrasound are ligament sprains, muscle strains, inflammation of the joints,
and tendonitis
Electrical stimulation machines- a technique used to restore voluntary muscle
control by repairing or improving the muscle injured
Rehabilitation equipment- to help strengthen the athletes injured area
Hot packs/ice bags- alternative for hot/cold whirlpool and/or with electrical
stimulation treatment
These are items that are used on a daily basis by most of the athletes to improve their
muscle strength. Studies have shown that the integration of the best research
evidence with clinical expertise and patient values make clinical decisions. Steves
and Hootman (2004). This involves planning and deciding what treatments or
methods the athlete will need to perform to help with his/her injury.
Steves and Hootman (2004) also depict that, Athletic trainers need to embrace
the critical-thinking skills to assess the medical literature and incorporate it into their
clinical process (83). By applying critical thinking to the treatment of an athlete, all
aspects of their health, injury, and sport must be considered. All athletes are necessary
to their team. When an athlete is injured, their return to good health is a crucial aspect
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to the rest of the team. Athletic trainers must be able to use their knowledge and skill
to assist in returning the athlete back to their original healthy selves. This can be
accomplished through the proper decision-making and the proper implied rules on the
athlete. The use of correct clinical education, as illustrated by Steves and Hootman
(2004) includes:
Defining a clinically relevant question
Searching for the best evidence
Appraising the quality of the evidence
Applying the evidence to clinical practice
Evaluating the process
These are all components that must be followed by athletic trainers and should be
implemented by the staff. As a student athletic trainer, we should be taught the proper
techniques and protocol to be able to have effective results from the injured athlete. The
types of techniques and methods that are used in each training room are they key to its
overall productivity but in order to establish productively.
The question is, will the methods and treatments implemented by the athletic
trainers, for the athletes work? As time goes by, things change. Injuries will occur, and
the methods used to treat these injuries will to evolve along with new concepts.
Depending on the person and how often they receive treatments or perform the
rehabilitation methods given to them, will determine the outcome. Each method given to
athletes is done so based on the injury and athlete. They are geared to help to injured are
of the athlete strengthen and return to top shape. Granted, not all techniques and methods
my work, but eventually one is bound to. By using critical thinking and decision-making
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skills, they can help in the crucial role in the care of athletes. Athletic trainers must use
sound judgment and make critical decisions to evaluate an injury and help the athlete
recuperate.




















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References
Beedie, C. &Coleman, D & Foad, A. (2007). Positive and negative placebo effects
resulting from the deceptive administration of an ergogenic aid. PubMed, 17(3)
259-269. http://www.ncbi.nm.nih.gov/pubmed/17693687

Delforge, G., & Behnke, R. (1999). The History and Evolution of Athletic Training
Education in the United States. Journal of Athletic Training, 34(1) 53-61.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1322875/pdf/jathtrain00005-
0067.pdf

Fuller, D. (1997). Critical Thinking in Undergraduate Athletic Training Education.
Journal of Athletic Training, 36(3) 242-247.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1320245/pdf/jathtrain00015-
0052.pdf

Delwiche, F., & Hall, E. (2007). Mapping the Literature of Athletic Training. Journal of
the Medical Library Association, 95(2) 195-201.
http://0web.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=19b9bf52
-0b8a-4e33-ac1f-2daa7f4e5c80%40sessionmgr111&vid=9&hid=118


Steves, R., & Hootman, J. (2004). Evidence Based Medicine: What is it and How Does It
Apply to Athletic Training?. Journal of Athletic Training, 39(1) 83-87.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC385266/