App for a Concussion

I saw something very interesting this past week. My ACI at Bridgewater recently got an iPad and he pulled us aside before the football game on Saturday. He pulled out the iPad and told us to use this application he recently purchased to diagnose a concussion. It was very interesting and took you step by step through questions about symtoms as well as cognitive questions to diagnose a concussion. At the end of the session, it is logged with the date and time.
I happen to type in iPad app and caught an article titled Cleveland Clinic Hopes New iPad App Helps Diagnose Concussions that spoke about a new app called Cleveland Clinic Concussion Assessment System. This pulls together all of the tests used to test for a concussion including memory, balance, and overall cognitive function. The app is supposed to not only help athletic trainer's diagnose concussions, but be a tool such as the imPact test is for pre-concussion comparison. When I researched more about this new appm which is still in testing, I found that these apps utilize the motion detecters (unsure what they are called) to measure balance as well in the athlete. It will be strapped on and can conduct a test on the quality of the athlete's balance.
This is a great application that will help many athletic trainer's disgnose concussions and keep athletes safe. This gives specific questions and directions that can help new and experienced athletic trainers conduct a thourough exam of an athlete.
At the same time, this app must be used as a tool for concussions. The important thing to remember is that the athletic trainermust be able to use their own observations and knowledge as well as the application. The player might not be telling the truth and it is important not just to rely on the answers the athlete gives an athletic trainer.

What do you think?

Cleveland Clinic

Athletic Trainer Should Talk About Supplements

In the article from American Academy of Orthopedics there is an interesting article that refers to talking to athletes about supplements called Looking for an edge: Steroids, supplements, and “vitamins”. Although this article mainly refers to the team physician, I thought it would be important to also talk about how the athletic trainer should be knowledgeable as well.
The article talks about a team physician basically told by the coach to administer steriods to the players so that they would win. The important point that this article drives home is that the coach is not the person who should be telling you what to do to to the athletes. Our responsbility as athletic trainers is to do what is good for the athletes. If a coach tells us to recommend a harmful substance to the athlete to improve performance, it is not something that we have to do. In fact, it is something can most likely get us in alot of trouble.
Our job as athletic trainers in working with nutritionists and team physicians is to educate the athletes of what is harmful and what is helpful. It is important to make them realize that anything that can cause a huge change in strength or speed quickly will also have some serious side effects.
It is important to educate athletes on reading labels and looking behind the advertisements to see how a product does affect a person. Just because an athlete hears that it works does not make it true either. We must educate them to be smart in decisions regarding the body. It is important to be educated ourselves as athletic trainers and stay informed about new trends with our athletes.

What would you do if a coach was endorsing potentially harmful supplements?

http://www.dawnmwilliams.com/Steroids.html