There are many high school athletes who do not have the advantage of seeing a certified athletic trainer. Mainly this is due to the fact that there may not be an athletic trainer on staff. The following information provided is to inform the athlete and/or parent of the signs and symptoms that should be recognized after an injury occurs. If these signs and symptoms are present in the athlete after incurring a sport injury, either a certified athletic trainer or physician should see the athlete.
When to see an ATC:
- Swelling over or around the injury site
- Pain with specific activities (running, kicking, cutting, jumping, etc)
- Noticeable favoring or limping of injured body part
- Limited range of motion
- Limited strength (feeling of weakness) in or around injury site
When to see a physician:
- Referral by an ATC
- Inability to feel or move one or more limbs
- Significant chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Obvious fracture or joint dislocation
- A cut requiring stitches
- Head, neck or face injuries
If the athlete needs to see an athletic trainer, the athlete is able to be seen by a certified athletic trainer at Towson Sports Medicine’s Same-Day Certified Athletic Training Evaluation.
Remember that if an athlete has a life threatening trauma to the head or spinal column, profuse bleeding, troubles with the cardiovascular or respiratory systems, fractures or joint dislocations EMS should be called to transport the athlete to the nearest hospital.
