Last night, I finally got the opportunity to make the 5 hour drive to Eastern Kansas to be at my boyfriend's varsity game. I have forgotten what it's like to be at a game as "just a fan". For the past 11 years, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I haven't been "working the game" as a student athletic trainer or now a certified athletic trainer. It was very hard not to jump up when someone was slow to get off the court.
In Kansas, each athletic trainer works under a physician and that physician has "signed off" on what the AT can and cant do without their direct presence. If one of my boyfriend's athletes would have went down with an injury last night, I would not of been able to provide care as my physician is 5 hours from his high school. Granted, if there was a head/neck injury and the treatment was purely First Aid, I would have been able to provide care as I am licensed in First Aid and CPR. Thankfully, there weren't a serious injury, so I guess I can say I got off lucky. HA!
I can't decide if I liked the role as "a fan" last night. Yes, I liked not having to be on duty and liked just being able to watch a basketball game, but it was definitely a different feeling sitting towards the top of the bleachers and not making sure every player was getting an adequate amount of water.
Until next time....
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Why do insurance companies have so much control?
I have a high school basketball player that suffered a knee injury a couple of weeks ago. Because of all the budget cuts in the schools, I do not cover basketball games for my schools on a regular basis so unfortunately I was not at the game that she was injured in.
Her coach called me first thing Saturday morning explaining that his player was in a lot of pain and was asking what options he had. I gave him the standard "RICE" treatment to get her through the weekend, and got her in to see our Physician's Assistant Monday afternoon. I don't go to the schools until Tuesday, so I was not able to see her prior to her appointment.
So the PA looks at her knee and decides one of two possibilities has happened. She has either torn her meniscus or suffered a sprained MCL. We ruled out an ACL so the next step that was mutually agreed upon was to have an MRI preformed to see exactly what was going on.
The office calls the girls' insurance company to get the MRI approved prior to the testing being done, and the insurance company denies the request for an MRI due to there being "insufficient evidence" that an MRI is necessary. They don't believe that an MRI can be ordered following one visit with the doctor.
The girl was then given the option to have a brace placed on her knee and given some rehabilitation exercises to build up strength in the muscles around her knee. She tried to play, but has little success. She falls regularly during games and then takes herself out of the games. Tests were preformed in the clinic showing her legs were strong enough to not have to worry about further injury and she was able to pass a functional jumping test, so there is no reason medically that we should hold her out of activity.
Today she went in for a re-check on her knee and pending approval from the insurance company, has an MRI scheduled tomorrow. I just can't believe how insurance companies (who have no medical background) have so much power that the can say what is and what isn't "ok" to preform on patients.
GRRR.....
Her coach called me first thing Saturday morning explaining that his player was in a lot of pain and was asking what options he had. I gave him the standard "RICE" treatment to get her through the weekend, and got her in to see our Physician's Assistant Monday afternoon. I don't go to the schools until Tuesday, so I was not able to see her prior to her appointment.
So the PA looks at her knee and decides one of two possibilities has happened. She has either torn her meniscus or suffered a sprained MCL. We ruled out an ACL so the next step that was mutually agreed upon was to have an MRI preformed to see exactly what was going on.
The office calls the girls' insurance company to get the MRI approved prior to the testing being done, and the insurance company denies the request for an MRI due to there being "insufficient evidence" that an MRI is necessary. They don't believe that an MRI can be ordered following one visit with the doctor.
The girl was then given the option to have a brace placed on her knee and given some rehabilitation exercises to build up strength in the muscles around her knee. She tried to play, but has little success. She falls regularly during games and then takes herself out of the games. Tests were preformed in the clinic showing her legs were strong enough to not have to worry about further injury and she was able to pass a functional jumping test, so there is no reason medically that we should hold her out of activity.
Today she went in for a re-check on her knee and pending approval from the insurance company, has an MRI scheduled tomorrow. I just can't believe how insurance companies (who have no medical background) have so much power that the can say what is and what isn't "ok" to preform on patients.
GRRR.....
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
ACL Debate
ACL's are something everyone hears about that are associated with sports. In the athletic training world, they are always a very hot topic.
Today was a day that I was on the roads of Southwest Kansas seeing 4 of my 5 area high schools. Other than the wear and tear injuries that my basketball players are starting to feel because of the long basketball season, however the conversation I had with the girls basketball coach/athletic director at one of my schools have me wondering about this:
When do you tell an athlete to have ACL reconstruction surgery, and miss the rest of their senior year of basketball. A girl at another area high school tore her ACL approx. 3 weeks ago during a basketball game. She has spent the past 3 weeks debating if she was going to get her ACL reconstructed or if she was going to purchase a special brace to allow her to finish her senior year of basketball.
For those of you that don't know, you do NOT have to have your ACL fixed once its torn. Running and jumping are VERY difficult without an ACL, and your knee will feel very unstable without it in tact, however you can live a fairly normal life without one.
My concern is, this girl is planning on going on to the college level to play basketball. And as much as I'd like to say that males and females are completely equal, in athletics, they really aren't. The reason we're seeing more and more female ACL tears is believed to be because women's bodies weren't meant to handle the wears and tears of athletics like males were (our muscle structure isn't the same) and we have such a variation in hormones every month.
If I was an 18 year old high school athlete, I don't believe there would be any doubt in my mind that I would have surgery. I don't think a brace can provide the same effects that an ACL does, and there is no way she can build her quadriceps muscles up enough to compensate for the missing ACL before the end of basketball season.
My question is: When do athletic trainers step in and help educate athletes for long-term effects?
Today was a day that I was on the roads of Southwest Kansas seeing 4 of my 5 area high schools. Other than the wear and tear injuries that my basketball players are starting to feel because of the long basketball season, however the conversation I had with the girls basketball coach/athletic director at one of my schools have me wondering about this:
When do you tell an athlete to have ACL reconstruction surgery, and miss the rest of their senior year of basketball. A girl at another area high school tore her ACL approx. 3 weeks ago during a basketball game. She has spent the past 3 weeks debating if she was going to get her ACL reconstructed or if she was going to purchase a special brace to allow her to finish her senior year of basketball.
For those of you that don't know, you do NOT have to have your ACL fixed once its torn. Running and jumping are VERY difficult without an ACL, and your knee will feel very unstable without it in tact, however you can live a fairly normal life without one.
My concern is, this girl is planning on going on to the college level to play basketball. And as much as I'd like to say that males and females are completely equal, in athletics, they really aren't. The reason we're seeing more and more female ACL tears is believed to be because women's bodies weren't meant to handle the wears and tears of athletics like males were (our muscle structure isn't the same) and we have such a variation in hormones every month.
If I was an 18 year old high school athlete, I don't believe there would be any doubt in my mind that I would have surgery. I don't think a brace can provide the same effects that an ACL does, and there is no way she can build her quadriceps muscles up enough to compensate for the missing ACL before the end of basketball season.
My question is: When do athletic trainers step in and help educate athletes for long-term effects?
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Wrestling Tournament
The good thing about Athletic Training is, when I'm 'bored' and not busy, its a good thing. Generally for most of the weekend, I had a few bloody noses, scratches on the face, and busted lips to treat. The only "serious" injury I had to deal with, was the dislocated shoulder one of the wrestlers suffered.
The most challenging thing about being an Athletic Trainer working at a wrestling tournament, is the fact you only have 90 seconds of injury time per match. We, as athletic trainers, are expected to evaluate, diagnosis and see if the athlete may return to competition in just a mere 90 seconds. Generally, asking the athlete how the injury occured takes 90 seconds.
I love working events, especially when the competition levels of the athletes are so high. Seeing these athletes work as hard as they possibly can for 5-6 minutes definitely makes wrestling a sport like no other.
Now off to 5 nights this week of basketball!
Until next time........
Friday, January 27, 2012
I have to brag just a little...
So this isn't related to Athletic Training at all (well not the profession) but it is athletic related and it took some training so I figured I could justify posting about this.
As I've mentioned various places already through out the semester, by brother is a senior track and field/cross-country runner at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. Anyway, today his team traveled to Lawerence Kansas to participate in the KU indoor track meet.
My brother placed 6th overall and was only beaten by runners from KU (obviously Division 1 athletes, while Friends is a NAIA school). The exciting part is, his time is good enough for the #1 ranking in his conference!!!!! Not only does he have the fastest time, but he is the fastest by 8 seconds (and 8 seconds is ALOT in running)
Anyway, I am definitely one proud big sis today! THANK YOU for allowing me a chance to brag.
P.S. I'll get back to the world of Athletic Training tomorrow :-)
As I've mentioned various places already through out the semester, by brother is a senior track and field/cross-country runner at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. Anyway, today his team traveled to Lawerence Kansas to participate in the KU indoor track meet.
My brother placed 6th overall and was only beaten by runners from KU (obviously Division 1 athletes, while Friends is a NAIA school). The exciting part is, his time is good enough for the #1 ranking in his conference!!!!! Not only does he have the fastest time, but he is the fastest by 8 seconds (and 8 seconds is ALOT in running)
Anyway, I am definitely one proud big sis today! THANK YOU for allowing me a chance to brag.
(this is a picture of Tim running cross-country last fall)
GO FALCONS!P.S. I'll get back to the world of Athletic Training tomorrow :-)
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Whats best for the athlete?
Wow, what a day! I've been a certified athletic trainer for nearly 8 months now. Its something I've wanted to do since my freshman year of high school and I have never once doubted my career choice...until today.
In Kansas athletic trainers work under the care of a physician. When you get your license, your supervising physician "checks-off" what you can and can't do without the athlete coming into the clinic to see them. Today, for the first time I had a parent of a high school kid get mad at me for these "state laws".
This particular athlete had hurt herself a couple of weeks ago. Because she was in "extreme pain" she was taken by her parents to another physician. Because she is not under the physician care of my physician, there isn't anything I can do for her without written documentation and a protocol from her caring physician.
This was explained to her mom Tuesday when I was at the school. Although mom was not happy, she seemed to understand. I told her that she either needed to go back to her first doctor, or come to the doctor I work for and we could get her rehabilitation started.
Mom called me this afternoon and wanted an appointment with my clinic this afternoon. I called work and pulled a few string to get the athlete in TODAY (talk about patient care!). Anyway, 15 minutes after the athlete was supposed to be at the clinic (and the physician ready to go home) my office called me and told me that my athlete had not shown up. I called the mom, and she had decided not to bring her daughter to the clinic and hadn't bothered to call and say they weren't coming.
While on the phone with mom, she wouldn't let me talk at all. Anytime I went to talk, she would interrupt me and tell me that I didn't care rather her daughter was hurt or not and she didn't agree with the fact that the school paid fore me to be there and I wouldn't help her daughter.
Sorry parents, I'm not putting my license on the line for you when the rules have been explained to you....hopefully tomorrow will be better! HAPPY FRIDAY!
-Heather
In Kansas athletic trainers work under the care of a physician. When you get your license, your supervising physician "checks-off" what you can and can't do without the athlete coming into the clinic to see them. Today, for the first time I had a parent of a high school kid get mad at me for these "state laws".
This particular athlete had hurt herself a couple of weeks ago. Because she was in "extreme pain" she was taken by her parents to another physician. Because she is not under the physician care of my physician, there isn't anything I can do for her without written documentation and a protocol from her caring physician.
This was explained to her mom Tuesday when I was at the school. Although mom was not happy, she seemed to understand. I told her that she either needed to go back to her first doctor, or come to the doctor I work for and we could get her rehabilitation started.
Mom called me this afternoon and wanted an appointment with my clinic this afternoon. I called work and pulled a few string to get the athlete in TODAY (talk about patient care!). Anyway, 15 minutes after the athlete was supposed to be at the clinic (and the physician ready to go home) my office called me and told me that my athlete had not shown up. I called the mom, and she had decided not to bring her daughter to the clinic and hadn't bothered to call and say they weren't coming.
While on the phone with mom, she wouldn't let me talk at all. Anytime I went to talk, she would interrupt me and tell me that I didn't care rather her daughter was hurt or not and she didn't agree with the fact that the school paid fore me to be there and I wouldn't help her daughter.
Sorry parents, I'm not putting my license on the line for you when the rules have been explained to you....hopefully tomorrow will be better! HAPPY FRIDAY!
-Heather
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