Topic > Sports Therapist Preparation for Games - 1048

As Redhead, J and Gordon, J stated "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail" (2012. P.2) shows how important it is to prepare in case of emergencies doctors in sports. One of the main things a sports therapist should do in preparation for any game or situation that could result in any form of trauma/injury is an emergency action plan (EAP). An EAP is a formal document that covers the steps to be taken in the event of a health crisis or disaster (France, RC2011). Not only should there be an EAP, but it should be assembled and well rehearsed beforehand as this helps prevent further injury and transport the athlete off the field as quickly and effectively as possible. The benefit of actively practicing an EAP is that it can show any weaknesses in the plan allowing time to make corrections, thus better support service provided by the entire team and also gives each team member time to refresh/learn the emergency action skills (Potter, Brian W. & Martin, R. Daniel. 2009). Within the EAP not only will the sports therapist develop a plan for a possible injured athlete, but will take into consideration the type of venue and how to get further help (e.g. an ambulance) to the venue through a safe entry and then a safe exit (Redhead, J & Gordon, J. 2012). The sports therapist would also ensure that they have all the medical equipment required in the EAP. Inside the medical equipment there would be a traditional first aid kit useful for treating minor wounds (see appendix 1). The first aid kit would be well organized in a waterproof bag to keep everything dry and sterile. The sports therapist will also include a fracture pack in case fractures occur, where ...... center of card ...... and foot, asks the athlete exactly what happened and is informed that there was a "pop" noise heard at the time of the injury. Due to the swelling it would be difficult to palpate the ankle joint line, but pain is felt upon palpation. The therapist will direct the athlete to perform active ankle movements; the movements were not produced by the athlete due to the amount of pain. The next step is to get the athlete off the field safely. Due to the lack of active movement there will be hesitation to apply full pressure on the ankle and unusual positioning, it would be best for the therapist to splint the ankle with a SAM splint and then remove it from the field according to the EAP (see appendix 1&4) (Wilkerson , AJ et al (2010). The goalkeeper left the field with an obvious cervical spine, the next thing that needs to be evaluated off the field is