Prevention & Treatment of Athletic Injuries

Prevention & Treatment of Athletic Injuries prepares undergraduate students to recognize, prevent, and respond to athletic injuries across a variety of settings (recreational, middle school, secondary school, collegiate, professional). It balances theory (anatomy, injury mechanisms, legal/ethical frameworks, physiology, nutrition) with applied skills (emergency planning, risk management care, rehabilitation basics, environmental safety) using evidence supported by research. Emphasis is on evidence-informed best practices, risk reduction, interdisciplinary teamwork, and developing the judgment to know when and how to refer. 

Prevention & Treatment of Athletic Injuries helps readers to:

• explain legal and ethical responsibilities related to athletic injury care.
• identify common injury mechanisms and classify musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal injuries.
• design and evaluate prevention strategies (conditioning, equipment, environment).
• conduct appropriate on-field/contextual assessments for head, spine, and extremity injuries and perform immediate care actions within scope.
• create emergency action plans (EAPs) and coordinate acute-care responses.
• describe the principles of tissue healing and apply basic rehabilitation progressions for common injuries.
• recognize environmental, systemic, and medical conditions that affect athletic participation and safety.
• recommend evidence-based nutritional and health promotion strategies that support injury prevention and recovery.