Thumb Injuries in Sports
The thumb: It has allowed humans to develop into the most dominant species on the planet. Without it, we wouldn’t have the Mona Lisa, the Seven Wonders of the World, or quarterbacks that can complete a pass while scrambling out of the pocket when their protection breaks down. You can see just how important the “lone wolf of the hand” is in life and sports, and when Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was sidelined by a thumb injury, I started getting a lot of questions about thumb injuries in athletics. They’re fairly common in sports since the thumb is separate from the other fingers, exposing it to some unique injuries. Lucky for you, my background allows me to explain what a couple of the more common injuries are. (more…)
Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers Team Up for Amazing Results
When an athlete is injured, a doctor will often prescribe a round of physical therapy to help facilitate the healing process. As an athletic trainer (AT), I’m often asked by parents why a student-athlete can’t just do their therapy with me in the athletic training room instead of going off-site to a clinic for formal physical therapy. The truth is that as an athletic trainer, I’m a part of a healthcare team, and like any other team, I feel that each member plays a role that maximizes their potential. Personally, and dependent on the nature of the injury, if I want my athlete to get the highest quality of care, I’m going to set them up with formal physical therapy with a physical therapist (PT). (more…)