An athletic trainer can help you get your mojo back after an injury. You must have heard or seen athletic trainers in your school, college, or any other sports event that you have been to. In case you haven’t noticed, let me bring you up to speed.
These are health care professionals who help injured athletes recover or give them the required first aid. All this is usually done under the supervision of a qualified or licensed physician. In most cases, these athletic trainers are associated with gyms, school athletic departments, professional sports organizations and the like.
Athletic trainers must have excellent communication skills and the power of motivation to help you. This guide will show you some of the benefits of using an athletic trainer, how much you have to pay, and if they are worth it anyway. Read along with me.
What is an Athletic Trainer?
In a nutshell, athletic trainers check and treat injuries of different athletes. In most cases, they work alongside other team doctors to administer the best treatment and also help them and advise them at the same time about the best way they can build strength and avoid further injury.
They might also be required to advise on the best diet, exercise, and keep records for further investigation. Athletic trainers also treat minor surgeries and any injury that athletes might have incurred.
They are responsible for things like wrapping an ice pack around the sore leg or arm, applying a hot pack to relieve muscle spasms, wrapping bandages around sprained ankles or wrists, and so much more. Most of them work in schools, universities, colleges, and other sports teams and athletic programs.
How Much Do Athletic Trainers Cost?
On average, athletic trainers charge about $530 in total for three weeks of treatment, for instance for an ankle sprain. If you were to compare this with an emergency room visit, this is much lower hence saving you some bucks. Also, prices might differ depending on the injury and how the athlete is responding to the medication.
Benefits of Using an Athletic Trainer
Here are some of the reasons you might consider hiring an athletic trainer.
Helps the Coach
Most of these trainers are trained to work and keep communication between the coach, the athlete, their parents, or even their physician if applicable. They are supposed to inform the physician of the athlete’s progress, keep an eye on them and get their feedback, and keep communication open.
This not only helps in the healing process but also helps the coach to plan on the games and practice depending on how the athlete is feeling. Furthermore, it also helps the coaches to focus solely on coaching.
Prevents Further Injuries
This is one of the most significant benefits of using an athletic trainer as they provide information on athletes who might have injuries. They also educate athletes and give them information that might help them avoid the same injuries again and also give them tips on how to use protective gear while training.
They Offer Advice on Physical Fitness
They also offer advice and tips on how one can best go about their physical fitness. In other words, they coach you on how to perform specific exercises. They might even give athletes tips on how to land on the ground to avoid injuries while playing or training.
Support
When these athletes have injuries, the only people they turn to are athletic trainers. They offer not only physical treatment but also emotional and psychological treatments, which helps recovery. They also deliver emergency care, first aid treatment, prescribe short-term therapy among other things
The Bottom Line
These are some of the benefits of having an athletic trainer on your team, if you don’t have one, it's high time you considered hiring one. An athletic trainer can make the difference between an athlete that succumbs to injuries and one that goes on to power through them to success.
