Published date: November 12, 2021
By
Larry Balle ,
MD
Dr. Larry Balle from Arkansas Children's Northwest (ACNW) Sports Medicine shares how the Pediatric Sports Medicine Program provides comprehensive care to athletes on and off the field.
Achieving the highest safety goals and the best quality of care for student-athletes is most effective when a full sports medicine team is available. Athletic trainers, sports medicine physicians and surgeons create this team, managing the athlete’s physical therapy, medical, orthopedic and surgical care.
The future of sports medicine at Arkansas Children's is a circle of rings. At the center is the student-athlete. The next ring is a certified athletic trainer, our sports medicine physicians, and sports orthopedic surgeons. The outer rings include specialized physical therapists, various subspecialty physicians and surgeons.
The goal of the athletic trainer on the sports medicine team is to get the student-athlete back on the court, field or track as quickly and safely as possible. Athletic trainers are educated in general medical evaluation, first-aid and first-response care, such as CPR and medical assessment, and have a robust orthopedic skillset. Often, musculoskeletal injury rehabilitation is treated under the guidance of an athletic trainer. This care includes high-quality therapy and rehab that can save the patient time and money.
In the above examples, the schools' certified athletic trainers served as the first-line medical providers by handling the majority of the student athletes' medical or musculoskeletal needs, enabling them to participate in their sports safely. A school athletic trainer is an important resource for medical knowledge, especially for student-athletes who don't have the benefit of regularly (if ever) visiting with medical specialists. They serve as advocates for their students' healthcare needs, guiding them to the appropriate specialty/resource or helping them rehabilitate. Likewise, sports medicine physicians are fortunate to have school athletic trainers to serve as their connection for communication and medical needs of student-athletes.
The future of sports medicine care is transitioning to this coordinated model, with comprehensive student care being the highest priority. Arkansas Children's goal is to streamline communication among student-athletes and their families. The athletic trainers serve as the best go-to between them and their team of physicians, surgeons, physical therapists, and other specialists.