The real job of this author not only includes being an athletic trainer for a local high school, but also doing rehabilitation on the entire spectrum of the population.  However, from time-to-time I am called upon to be a physician extender in a sports medicine doctors office.  The past few weeks I have been doing that more frequently and have noticed a very surprising trend.

Granted there is no “scientific evidence” of this trend, rather just my observation and upon asking questions to the doctor and the rest of the regular staff, they too have noticed relatively the same thing.

As we have progressed in the concussion era the doctor that we work for has been near the front on the concussion issue.  To his credit he used all the resources in the program to develop this progressive attitude and has taken all of his information along with others and developed a comprehensive concussion program.  When he started many, including some athletic trainers in the sports med program were in disagreement with the longevity and “conservative” nature of the treatment/management.  That quickly subsided with much of the evidence we have seen in the recent year, but it never really translated to acceptance among local coaches, school administrations, and players/parents.

All of the original skepticism about concussion care has slowly been washed away and this doctor has been accepted as one of the “go-to” guys in the area for this injury.  This is not the trend I speak of, although it is very nice to see; all the hard work of the athletic trainers has begun to sink in.

Rather the trend I am beginning to see is something mirrored in the national/international press Continue reading →