Injury Management

Proper management of an injury is vital to the quick, safe return of an athlete to sport.  The athletic trainers take a team approach to injury management including the athlete, parents, coaches, physicians and physical therapists into the plan of care.  This multifaceted approach helps to ensure that the athlete receives the best care available and that all decisions are made with their goals and overall health in mind.

Acute Injuries

Acute injuries can be described as an injury that occurs due to a specific event.  For example, an acute injury occurs when an athlete turns an ankle or is struck in the side of the knee by another player.  These injuries often result in immediate severe pain, swelling and loss of motion, strength and function.  The athletic trainer evaluates the injury to determine the structure(s) that have been affected and then works with the athlete, parent, coaches and physicians to establish their playing status and initial plan of care.  Most injuries, such as contusions or mild/moderate sprains and strains, are treated with rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE).  Other injuries, such as fractures, may be treated with splints to immobilize the affected area to prevent further injury.  The majority of these injuries are handled within the athletic training room.  However, some injuries that are more severe require evaluation by a physician.  The athletic trainers have developed relationships with physicians in the area and are better able to access appointments with these physicians in specialty areas than the general population.  It is recommended that the athlete and their family works with the athletic trainer to better facilitate prompt care by an appropriate physician.

Chronic Injuries

Chronic injuries can be described as injuries that occur over time where the cause of it may not be immediately apparent.  These injuries can be more complex and more difficult to treat.  Examples of this are low back or knee pain for which the athlete cannot cite a specific reason that the pain initiated.  The athletic trainer must then evaluate the injury to not just determine the structures affected by the injury, but what the root cause of the injury is so as to minimize the chances of a recurrence.  This evaluation often includes a detailed history and assessment of global body movement to determine where a specific dysfunction may be occurring.  Often times chronic knee or back pain is a direct result of a hip dysfunction or poor biomechanics of the foot.  After determining the cause of the injury, the athletic trainer then works with the athlete, parents, coaches and physicians to treat the area of pain and the root cause.

IMPORTANT: Once an athlete is under the care of a physician written documentation must be provided to the athletic trainers allowing the athlete to return to play.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation of an injury can take on many forms.  The majority of the injuries that occur during sports require minimal rehabilitation and treatment.  This may consist of stretches recommended by the athletic trainers, tapings and/or ice after practices and games.  Some injuries require more care and the athletic trainers will work with the athletes in the athletic training room if it is an injury that does not require extended care such as a mild ankle sprain.  If the athletic trainers determine that the athlete does require extensive rehabilitation of an injury, such a ligament tear in the knee that required surgery, they will be recommended to go to an outpatient physical therapy provider like Athletico.  Due to the volume of athletes that are seen in season in the athletic training room, extended one-on-one care can be difficult to provide and the outpatient physical therapy setting may be the best provider of the care that is necessary.  Many athletes will be given home exercise programs to independently rehabilitate their injury.  Recently the athletic training room began using MedBridge, a medical provider educational website that includes a patient care portal for home exercise programs.  These programs are emailed to the athlete along with an access code to allow them to perform these exercises with video guidance wherever they have access to a computer or a smartphone.

Access the patient care portal here: Home Exercise Program Link

Protocols

Injury protocols are guides that are established based on the most recent developments in evidence based medicine and standards of care.  The athletic trainers have developed injury care protocols over a period of years that reflect these criteria.  Many of these are simple guides to injury care, but other are school policy and mandated by state law.  The HFHS Concussion Care Protocol is mandatory for all students who receive a concussion as required by the Illinois Youth Sports Concussion Safety Act.  Please reference the protocols on this page for your information.

Concussions

Head injuries of any kind are handled in accordance with the Illinois Youth Sports Concussion Safety Act.  Athletes who sustain blow to the head will be referred to the athletic training staff by the coaches. Evaluation procedures may include the use of the Standardized Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5) or the Sway Test.  Judgments in regards to the presence of a concussion will always be made with the health and safety of the student-athlete as the highest priority.  In the event that the athletic trainers assess that a concussion may have occurred the student-athlete will be referred to a physician for further evaluation and the HF Concussion Oversight Committee will be notified by email to assist the student-athlete with classroom challenges that may occur as a result of the injury and to oversee the student's progression back into full classroom participation and a return to full physical activity.  All steps and progressions for students with concussions are outlined in the HFHS Concussion Protocol.