Ideas For Educating the Injured Athlete on Self Care

Are Your Athletes Fully Understanding Their Care Plans?

Today’s athlete must be smarter, more sport sophisticated and rule- conscious than ever before. But in athletic sport medicine realms they often are not students "of the game". As athletic trainers, part of our caring for our athletes is to make them more cognizant of practices and routines that will keep them safe, heal faster and prevent injuries from occurring. As certified athletic trainers, we know firsthand the anxiety and depression that accompanies our athletes when they get injured. We also know that while we are explaining the initial care plans to our athletes, the athlete often can't focus on what we are saying due to the stress of the moment.

Question: What do you do to educate your athletes?

• Handouts, posters, and group talks are generally successful and are certainly a mainstay of the training room.
• What about getting a guest spot on the local cable station that covers your events? This can be seen by athletes and parents alike and is often aired multiple times.
• What about individualized computerized injury instruction?

Using Simple Technology To Educate

By creating Power Point presentations on topics of your choosing that include your own recorded voice, it is as if you were speaking to the athlete and giving them the information you want at a convenient time for both you and the athlete.

To ensure more complete care for my athletes, I set aside a corner of the training room as their area for learning. By placing a computer on the desk with headphones, I can select the presentation that the injured athlete needs to view. Since I create the slides and record my voice onto each slide, I am certain it applies in my situation and school.

I am creating a variety of Power Point presentations on topics such as ankle injuries, stretching guidelines, concussion, student assistants’ guidelines, knee and shoulder care, hydration, use of crutches, shin splints, and pre-season instructions. The inclusion of videos via YouTube and media outlet reports certainly adds to the education being presented.

Sports Health can ease the burden of finding material for you to share with your athletes. In the area of concussion, look at the Sports Concussion Tool Kit for Athletic Trainers and Coaches at www.esportshealth.com.

Phil Hossler, ATC has been an athletic trainer on the scholastic, collegiate and Olympic levels. He has authored 4 books and numerous articles and served as an officer in state and regional athletic training associations for 20 years. He is a member of four halls of fame including the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s.

Is BMI a Reliable Measurement For You?

Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is an estimate of your body fat, based on your height and weight. The higher your BMI, the higher your risk of developing such conditions as heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes.

BMI Measurements in Adults

Currently the standard definitions of overweight and obesity used by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) says for adults, a body mass index of 25 or more is considered "overweight" and a BMI of 30 or more is considered "obese". Basically a BMI of 19-25 is considered healthy.

BMI Measurements in Children

For children, the charts of Body-Mass-Index for Age are used, where a BMI greater than the 85th percentile is considered "at risk of overweight" and a BMI greater than the 95th percentile is considered "obese".

How BMI Can Be a Misleading Measurement:

• Body Mass Index changes with age, obviously in children but also in adults.
• For children and the elderly, BMI may be misleading since the muscle and bone to height relationship is changing.
• Men and women are different.
• Short adult women have higher BMI than taller women.
• Race/ethnicity and nationality affect body composition and BMI. In some ethnic groups, such as Pacific Islanders, BMI overestimates fatness and risk.
• Muscular people, athletes and bodybuilders particularly, have high BMI values, but are not fat.

BMI can potentially misclassify people as fat, even though their percentage of body fat is not excessive. Therefore, trust your own judgment about your own body because BMI-based body descriptions can be wrong.

Excessive anxiety is not healthy either. Eat smart, use portion size as your guide and make exercise a habit you can stick with.

There are several BMI calculators available by searching the internet. Rather than try to fit your body into a standard chart, you might wish to utilize technology that can be used by you right now. Sports Health has several BMI analyzers available for you and your athletes.

Phil Hossler, ATC has been an athletic trainer on the scholastic, collegiate and Olympic levels. He has authored 4 books and numerous articles and served as an officer in state and regional athletic training associations for 20 years. He is a member of four halls of fame including the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s.

Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Athletes with Asthma?

As certified athletic trainers we deal with many athletes, parents, coaches and colleagues who have varying degrees of asthma. While we typically know something about the condition, how much and how well do you know asthma?

Here is a little quiz for you.

1. Do you know the law in your state about students being permitted to carry a controlled substance such as their inhaler with them in school?
2. Did you know there is a federal law requiring schools to make certain that asthmatics have all the same opportunities as other students?
3. On average if you have 30 athletes on your softball team, about how many of them may be asthmatic?
4. How many asthmatic triggers can you name?
5. Do you know the signs of an asthmatic episode? How about the signs of an asthmatic emergency?
6. Does your school have an Emergency Action Plan that covers severe asthmatic episodes during the school day? after school? Is the EAP clear about duties and responsibilities?
7. Can physical education class, sports, exercise actually cause an asthmatic episode?
8. Do you know the Rule of Two’s ?

Concluding thoughts:

Question 1: check with your nurse or health officer to see how your district reflects the law of your particular state.

Question 2: the Individual with Disabilities Education ACT (IDEA) and Section 504 are federal laws that require arrangements to be made to include all students, even those with disabilities like asthma, to participate in all the educational experiences.

Question 3: about 3 or 10%

Question 4: indoor: dust, furry/feathered animals, mold, food allergies, strong odors/fragrances, poor air quality, temperature/humidity, tobacco smoke, illness/infection, exercise/sports and strong physical expressions of feelings

Question 5a: cough, shortness of breath, mild wheeze, tight chest, exposure to a known trigger. Remember being "winded" from exercise is different than "wheezing".

Question 5b: chest sucking in/neck muscles bulging, difficulty or discomfort when breathing, nasal flaring, trouble walking and/or talking, breathing does not improve or is worse after quick reliever medication is used

Question 6: check with your nurse, supervisor, central administration

Question 7: yes

Question 8: Does your athlete use a "quick-relief inhaler" more than Two times a week? Do they awaken at night with asthma more than Two times a month? Do they refill their "quick relief inhaler" more than two times a year? Does their peak flow drop more than Two times 10 (20%), when experiencing asthma symptoms? If, "yes" to any of these, your athlete may be clinically out of control. Have them see their physician. Rules of Two is a federally registered service mark of Baylor Health Care System. ©2008 Baylor Health Care System.

Having tools to assist your athletes with asthma should be of paramount importance to you. Check out tools and texts to help you by visiting Sports Health's asthma category >>.

Phil Hossler, ATC has been an athletic trainer on the scholastic, collegiate and Olympic levels. He has authored 4 books and numerous articles and served as an officer in state and regional athletic training associations for 20 years. He is a member of four halls of fame including the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s.

The Popularity of Tennis and Products to Make You More Comfortable

"According to data just released by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), tennis is the fastest growing sport in America among individual traditional sports with an increase in participation of 43 percent from 2000 to 2008. According to the SGMA, tennis was one of only six sports to experience participation growth exceeding 40 percent from 2000 through 2008. Tennis is well ahead of other traditional sports like baseball, ice hockey, gymnastics and football, all of which suffered a decline in participation during the past eight years. In the last year alone (through December 31, 2008), tennis experienced a 9.6 percent growth in participation." Read more >>

"The game of tennis is the same everywhere. The name given to the game differs in different countries. In Great Britain it is called Tennis or, to distinguish it from Lawn Tennis, Real Tennis or Royal Tennis. In the USA it is called Court Tennis: in France Jeu de Paume (hand ball): and in Australia Royal Tennis. The various names throw light on the development of the game. Tennis was played in 5th century Tuscany when villagers used to strike balls up and down the streets with bare hands." Ready more >>

Tennis is a very demanding activity but can also be very enjoyable and played both competitively and leisurely. As in any sporting activity "it is wiser to prepare than to repair" so conditioning, proper equipment, stretching, proper progression and practice, practice, practice are advised.

Injuries can occur and should be dealt with rather than allow them to linger. When in doubt as to what or how serious your injury may be, seek medical attention. (Read - "How To Identify and Treat Tennis Elbow - and When to See a Doctor" Remember "ice is nice and hot is not" so always apply cold initially to those aches and pains. Typically ice is applied for 10-30 minutes depending upon individual tolerances and then removed for 30-60 minutes.

When looking for a variety of products to assist, care for, relieve and support, shop Sports Health Tennis products >>

Phil Hossler, ATC has been an athletic trainer on the scholastic, collegiate and Olympic levels. He has authored 4 books and numerous articles and served as an officer in state and regional athletic training associations for 20 years. He is a member of four halls of fame including the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s.

MRSA- Does Your School Have a Plan?

What is MRSA?

More than 130,000 Americans contract a potentially fatal staph infection called MRSA every year. It's increasingly common among young, healthy athletes. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. MRSA was first discovered in 1961. It's now resistant to methicillin, amoxicillin, penicillin, oxacillin, and many other antibiotics which makes it a very difficult disease to deal with. Staph is one of the most common causes of skin infections in the U.S. Usually, these are minor and don't need special treatment. Less often, staph can cause serious problems like infected wounds or pneumonia.

How is MRSA Spread?

MRSA is especially troublesome in hospitals and nursing homes where patients with open wounds, invasive devices and weakened immune systems are at greater risk of infection than the general public. This is called Hospital Acquired (HA). The other transmission method is called Community Acquired (CA), and one can acquire it from coming in contact with a person, mat, exercise equipment, etc. that has been contaminated.

This disease is contagious by touch only, so you would have to come in contact with someone else or an object that had been contaminated to contract it. MRSA can be transmitted when an infected person contaminates an object like a treadmill at the gym. If you use the equipment and get the bacteria on your hands, then inadvertently touch your nose, the bacteria can enter your nasal canal. The bacteria will begin to show up externally as a skin infection.

Hand Washing and MRSA

At the Society for General Microbiology meeting in Harrogate on March 31, Dr Peter Wilson from University College Hospital, London, reported in Science Daily Mar. 31, 2009 on a year-long study in two hospital intensive care units. Results showed that hand washing was more important than isolation in controlling MRSA infection. This study suggests regular hand washing by hospital staff and visitors did more to prevent the spread of the MRSA superbug than isolating infected patients.¹ Researchers have found that patients of doctors who wash their hands are less likely to contract a serious infection that can cause pneumonia or surgical wound complications. According to a new study done by Johns Hopkins Hospital, patients at risk for MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) that had doctors and nurses who washed their hands were less likely to contract the infection.² Read more about hand hygiene in sports >>

View several MRSA combating products for training rooms, offices, clinics and other athletic facilities >>

For further information see
1. Protecting Athletes- Microbiologists Invent Coating To Protect Athletes From Infection September 1, 2007. http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/0905-protecting_athletes.htm
2. http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20071024/mrsa-experts-answer-your-questions
3. The Johns Hopkins Newsletter, 11/5/04 http://media.www.jhunewsletter.com/media/storage/paper932/news/2004/11/05/Science/Hand-Washing.Lessens.Mrsa.Risk-2244064.shtml


Phil Hossler, ATC has been an athletic trainer on the scholastic, collegiate and Olympic levels. He has authored 4 books and numerous articles and served as an officer in state and regional athletic training associations for 20 years. He is a member of four halls of fame including the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s.

How to Begin a Running Regimen

Running is one of the more accessible exercise activities available to athletes - all you really need is a good pair of shoes and a place to run; no fancy equipment or special skills. A word of caution however - it takes time to build up the endurance to run for even a short period of time, even if you've been walking, cycling or doing other activities in the past. Keep in mind that “it is wiser to prepare than to repair," so before you open the door and take off, visit your doctor, get the okay to start a running program and start working on your flexibility - particularly your lower back, hamstrings and calf muscles.

For most exercising adults, slower and longer is both safer and more productive than running hard (like you remember) and getting it done in 8 minutes. Use the “I can still talk while doing this” rule of thumb to gauge your intensity.

Don’t save money on your shoes. The soles of your feet only make up 2-4% of your skin surface, but the other 96% is resting (and counting on) the soles of your feet, so make them comfortable. Read 13 Tips for Selecting the Best Fitting Running Shoe >>

Running for exercise can be done when convenient to your schedule or your body’s schedule. Some people are morning exercisers and simply cannot get it done in the evening. There is no right or wrong time and each time slot has advantages. Just make certain to make the time, or you may never find the time. (Learn more about finding the right time to exercise.) There is bound to be some discomfort and occasional injuries associated with physical activity. Take care of them when they are small to reduce how long they last. Anything that hurts or persists should be seen by a medical professional.
To care for aches and discomforts, shop at http://www.esportshealth.com/running.

Phil Hossler, ATC has been an athletic trainer on the scholastic, collegiate and Olympic levels. He has authored 4 books and numerous articles and served as an officer in state and regional athletic training associations for 20 years. He is a member of four halls of fame including the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s.

How To Find the Best Time to Exercise

Is There a “Best” Time to Exercise?

That depends on a number of factors, including your body’s natural rhythms, your metabolic rate, your work and eating schedules and exposure to environmental factors.

Some people are early risers and want to get at it. Others start slower but can maintain longer throughout the day. These natural rhythms, called circadian rhythms, demonstrate peaks and valleys throughout the day. You are most likely to exercise when your energy level is high. Hopefully, you are able to match your meals, job, family, social and exercise activities with your natural rhythms.

6 Guidelines for Selecting the Best Time to Exercise:

1. Eat little before exercise
2. Avoid fat and protein sources if you plan to exercise shortly after eating since they digest slower than carbohydrate sources
3. Exercise after a meal should be enjoyable and mild in intensity so as to aid digestion and weight control
4. Exercising in the evening may aid metabolism during a normally slower time of the day, but may also cause “energy highs” making sleeping difficult
5. Carbohydrate sources digest more easily and are the body’s first choice for energy. This does not mean candy though!
6. If you are healthy enough for your exercise selection, there is no wrong time. Just make it a habit and stick with it.

Track Your activity with a pedometer or heart rate monitor >>