The athletic trainers of the Optim Sports Medicine Program have been assisting members of public safety in our communities in several ways lately. Before the beginning of high school football season, the Athletic Trainers had joint training sessions with Bulloch, Toombs, and Liberty County EMS departments to prepare for emergencies that may occur during fall sports. The best practices for pre-hospital care for heat illness, sudden cardiac arrest, and cervical spine injuries were reviewed and rehearsed. The hands-on training incorporated multiple scenarios including removing facemasks and shoulder pads for head/neck injuries in football. This joint training allows the agencies to work together seamlessly to provide the best possible care from the time of the injury on the field to the hospital.
Student-athletes are not the only ones who get hurt and need the assistance of athletic trainers. Members of public safety are also susceptible to injury due to the physical demands of their work. To prevent and reduce injuries to those in public safety, Athletic Trainers Rachel Lacy and Marissa Villafuerte-Brooks presented at the Peace Officer’s Association of Georgia Annual Conference in St. Simon’s Island, GA. The ATs educated attendees on common injuries sustained by law enforcement, how officers can assess themselves for injury risk, low back pain prevention and management, and proper lifting techniques and good sleep habits.
Optim Athletic Trainers are branching out to help more public safety members in our communities stay healthy. If you know of any public safety workers in the communities that we serve who could benefit from Athletic Training services, please reach out to Rachel Lacy, M.S., LAT, ATC at rlacy@optimhealth.com for more information.
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