Sports Therapist Preparation for Matches

As Redhead, J and Gordon, J stated “To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail” (2012. P.2) shows how important it is to prepare in medical emergencies in sport. One of the main things that a sports therapist should do in preparation of any match or a situation that would result in any form of trauma/injury is an Emergency Action Plan (EAP).an EAP is a formal document covering the steps to be taken in the occasion of a medical crisis or disaster (France, R.C.2011). Not only should there be an EAP but it should be assembled and well-rehearsed in advance as this helps with the efficiency of preventing any further injury and transporting the athlete off of the pitch as fast and effectively as possible. The advantage of actively practising an EAP is that it can show any weaknesses in the plan allowing time for corrections to be made thus the better service of care the whole team delivers and also it gives each member of the team time to refresh/learn emergency action skills (Potter, Brian W. & Martin, R. Daniel. 2009). Within the EAP not only would the sports therapist devise a plan for a possible injured athlete but they would take into consideration the type of venue and how to get additional help (e.g. ambulance) onto the venue through a safe entrance and then a safe exit (Redhead, J & Gordon, J. 2012).

The sports therapist would also make sure that they have all medical equipment that is required in the EAP. Within the medical equipment there would be a traditional first aid kit that would be useful to treat minor injuries (see appendix 1). The first aid kit would be well organised in a water proof bag to keep everything dry and sterile. The sports therapist would also include a fracture pack in case any fractures occur, in which ...

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...e foot, asks the athlete exactly what happened and is informed that there was a ‘snapping’ noise heard at the time of injury. Due to swelling it would be difficult to palpate the joint line if the ankle, but there is pain on palpation. The therapist will direct the athlete to perform active movements of the ankle; the movements were not produced by the athlete due to the amount of pain. The next step is to get the athlete off of the pitch safely. Due to the lack of active movement there will be hesitation to apply full pressure on the ankle and the unusual positioning it would be best for the therapist to splint the ankle with a SAM splint and then remove from the pitch according to the EAP(see appendix 1&4) (Wilkerson, A.J. etal (2010).

The goalkeeper came off of the pitch with a clear cervical spine, the next thing that needs to be assessed off of the pitch is