Athletic Trainer: Your Sports & Physical Conditioning Expert

Physically active people may see an athletic trainer when their doctor diagnoses a disease, injury, disorder or condition of the muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, nerves and bones. Athletic and sports trainers treat people of all ages with a wide variety of conditions, including sprains, strains, overuse injuries, back pain, knee pain, arthritis, herniated discs, and osteoporosis.

You may see an athletic trainer to prepare for returning to physical activity or sports after surgery or during recovery from injury. In some cases, athletic training and rehabilitation may reduce or eliminate the need for surgery or pain medication, and help you return to work and athletics sooner and more safely.  

Consider seeking care from an athletic trainer for these symptoms or conditions:

• Decreased range of motion of a joint or other body part

• Delayed motor development in a child

• Joint pain or swelling

• Muscle pain or swelling

• Poor tolerance of exercise, sports, or other physical activities

Athletic trainers can also help you prevent athletic, sports and work injuries and maximize your physical performance.

An athletic trainer provides exercise and other therapies for conditions and diseases that affect strength, flexibility, mobility, movement, and the ability to participate in physical work, exercise, or sports. Conditions include:

• Bone, joint and muscle diseases and conditions including arthritis, osteoporosis, herniated disc, tendinitis, and bursitis

• Occupational and repetitive stress injuries including carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and de Quervain’s syndrome

• Sports and other physical activity-related injuries including strains, sprains, fractures, dislocated joints, and rotator cuff tears

An athletic trainer can perform a wide variety of assessments and measurements of musculoskeletal function and disorders including:

• Nutrition assessment to evaluate your current diet including what types of food you eat and in what amounts

• Observation of physical movements including running, jumping, walking, grasping, lifting and bending

• Physical examination including vital signs, reflexes, body measurements, body mass index, and body composition

• Posture and ergonomic assessment while sitting, standing, and performing various physical activities

• Stress and performance testing to examine range of motion, joint function, cardiovascular endurance, muscle performance, and strength

An athletic trainer can order or perform various procedures and treatments, including: 

• Emergency illness and injury treatment including automated external defibrillator (AED) use, CPR, bleeding control, medication for anaphylaxis, splints, and spine boards

• Hydrotherapy including individual and group exercise programs performed in a heated pool to decrease muscle stiffness, spasms and pain

• Joint mobilization and range-of-motion exercises

  including manual manipulation to improve movement of stiff or painful joints 

• Manual treatments including soft tissue massage

• Nutrition planning

  and counseling including the best types and amounts of foods and vitamin supplements, weight loss or gain strategies, and general nutrition habits to optimize your physical performance

• Physical conditioning including elements of cardiovascular, muscular and joint fitness to prevent illness and injury

• Protective equipment use including selecting, providing and maintaining devices, such as shin guards, goggles, and knee pads that prevent injury during work or athletics

• Rehabilitative device fitting including such devices as braces, splints, canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs and orthotics to promote healing, strength and post-injury function

• Therapeutic and physical exercises to improve balance, endurance, cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility, and movement, while balancing the limitations of illness, disease or injury

• Therapeutic techniques including hot and cold therapy, traction, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), therapeutic ultrasound, laser therapy, and electrical muscle stimulation (EMS)

If you are researching athletic trainers, consider both licensure and certification. In some states, a healthcare provider can practice athletic training without becoming licensed to practice in that state, but licensure is for your protection. While licensure is the legal requirement to practice athletic training, professional certification is a voluntary process that recognizes an athletic trainer’s expertise. In states that do not require licensure for athletic training, certification is an especially helpful consideration when choosing an athletic trainer.

A certified athletic trainer (ATC) is certified by the Board of Certification (BOC) for the Athletic Trainer. An ATC has completed a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in athletic training from a school accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). They also must pass a written certification exam.

To maintain certification in athletic training, an athletic trainer must complete the BOC’s continuing education requirements.

There are no official subspecialties of athletic training. However, athletic trainers may specialize in certain age groups, in professional and semi-professional athletes, or in patients recovering from surgery. They may become experts in certain conditions or may only provide treatment in specific environments, such as hospitals, athletic facilities, schools, or industrial workplaces. Since athletic trainers provide care for patients under the supervision of a doctor, they may be known as a physician extender in some practices or healthcare settings.

To choose the right trainer for you, search for an athletic trainer with good patient reviews and who specializes in your condition, stage of life, or who provides treatment in your preferred setting.