August ushered in a new school year and with it comes the excitement of Fall sports and Friday Night Football. As action on the field heats up, so will urgent care visits to CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic.
When an injury happens and you are trying to decide where to go for your athlete’s care, don’t hesitate on visiting urgent care. CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic treats sports injuries daily, whether it’s a sprain, strain, or fracture. If the injury needs an x-ray, it all can be done onsite. The urgent care team can stabilize the injuries with various splints and casts and provide pain control. Athletes can also get a sports physical at any time; no appointment is needed.
In several schools across the region, when an athlete is injured CHRISTUS has a certified athletic trainer on the sidelines during games, practices, and in the team’s fieldhouse. An athletic trainer in most cases is there to provide the first line of care to an injured athlete. They can help prevent, diagnose, treat and rehabilitate injuries and illnesses.
As part of a sports medicine program, athletes become the beneficiary of a care team focused on making them a priority. There is no guessing game for if and when proper care is needed and provided. The programs are supported by athletic trainers, physical therapists, and orthopedic surgeons, who work the sidelines at local high schools and are passionate about the game. They understand sports and the determination that drives the athletes. They also understand the disappointment and heartbreak that comes along with injury.
Another benefit of the sports medicine program is the educational opportunities for coaches and students. Over the last decade, tougher laws and regulations governing contact sports, safety, and recognizing and treating concussions, have been implemented to better protect high school athletes. Athletic trainers also educate the team and coaches on injury management and prevention to make sure regulations are met. Conditioning clinics, classes for Basic Lifesaving Skills, and pre-season physicals for the hundreds of high school students are offered complimentary.
CHRISTUS offers student athletes in the region access to high-quality care and conditioning. If your athlete doesn’t have access to a sports medicine program, our team can still help with injury, recovery, and reaching full potential through CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic and our outpatient therapy centers. To learn more visit www.CHRISTUShealth.org and search Sports Medicine.
Shelli Murphy | Contributor, CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic