The Role of an Athletic Trainer in Concussion Care
Athletic trainers play an important role in concussion care, particularly for athletes who sustain injuries during practices, games, and other physical activities.
If an athlete is injured on the field or court, an athletic trainer may be one of the first healthcare professionals to evaluate them. They can recognize signs of a possible concussion, identify symptoms that require immediate medical attention, help determine whether an athlete should be removed from play, and coordinate next steps in the recovery process.
But an athletic trainer's role doesn't end when an athlete leaves the field.
Athletic trainers can remain involved throughout concussion rehabilitation, helping monitor symptoms, guide activity, and coordinate care as an athlete works toward a safe return to sport.
What Is an Athletic Trainer?
Athletic trainers are healthcare professionals who specialize in the prevention, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions related to physical activity.
They work in a variety of settings, including:
Schools and universities
Sports organizations
Clinics and medical practices
Professional and collegiate athletics
Workplaces and other physically demanding environments
Because athletic trainers are often present during practices and competitions, they can play a particularly valuable role in recognizing injuries and observing how athletes function in real-world situations.
What Does an Athletic Trainer Do After a Suspected Concussion?
When an athlete sustains a blow or force that could result in a concussion, an athletic trainer can perform an initial assessment and determine whether the athlete should be removed from play.
The evaluation may include looking for symptoms such as:
Headache
Dizziness
Nausea
Balance problems
Confusion
Difficulty concentrating
Visual changes
Sensitivity to light or sound
Changes in alertness
Athletic trainers also look for red flags that may require emergency medical evaluation, such as a significant change in consciousness, repeated vomiting, worsening neurological symptoms, or other concerning signs.
When a concussion is suspected, the athlete should be removed from play and evaluated by an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
An athlete should never be encouraged to "play through" a suspected concussion.
What Happens After an Athlete Is Removed From Play?
Being removed from a game or practice is only the beginning of concussion management.
After an athlete is evaluated, the healthcare team can determine what type of follow-up and rehabilitation may be appropriate.
Depending on the athlete's symptoms, their care team may include:
Physicians
Neurologists
Physical therapists
Athletic trainers
Neuro-optometrists
Speech-language pathologists
Mental health professionals
Other rehabilitation specialists
An athletic trainer can help coordinate communication between these providers and monitor the athlete's progress as they move through recovery.
How Athletic Trainers Support Concussion Rehabilitation
Concussion symptoms can involve multiple systems, and rehabilitation may need to address more than one area.
Depending on their training and scope of practice, an athletic trainer may assist with assessing and monitoring:
Balance and Vestibular Function
Dizziness, imbalance, motion sensitivity, and other vestibular symptoms can interfere with an athlete's ability to exercise and participate safely.
Athletic trainers can help identify these problems and coordinate appropriate vestibular or physical therapy services when needed.
Visual and Oculomotor Symptoms
Some athletes experience blurry vision, difficulty focusing, eye fatigue, or problems tolerating screens and visual movement after a concussion.
Athletic trainers may screen for certain visual symptoms and help coordinate referral to physical therapists, neuro-optometrists, or other specialists when additional evaluation is appropriate.
Exercise Tolerance
Exercise intolerance is common following concussion. An athlete may experience headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, or other symptoms when their heart rate increases.
A trained athletic trainer or other qualified clinician may use an exercise assessment, such as the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test, when clinically appropriate to help determine an individual's exercise tolerance.
The results can help inform an individualized exercise program and provide objective information about how an athlete responds to physical exertion.
Why Real-World Observation Matters
One of the unique advantages of an athletic trainer is the ability to observe an athlete in the environments where they actually participate.
An athlete may perform well during a clinical assessment but experience difficulty when faced with the demands of a real practice or game.
For example, an athletic trainer may notice that an athlete:
Becomes symptomatic after prolonged activity
Has difficulty tracking play visually
Struggles with balance during more complex movements
Becomes fatigued as practice continues
Has difficulty responding quickly to changing situations
Experiences symptoms when performing sport-specific activities
These observations can provide valuable information to the broader rehabilitation team.
Athletic Trainers and Return to Sport
Returning to sport after concussion is a progressive process, not simply a decision to return when symptoms feel better.
An athlete generally needs to demonstrate that they can tolerate progressively increasing levels of physical and sport-specific activity without an inappropriate increase in symptoms before returning to full participation.
Athletic trainers can help monitor an athlete throughout this progression and communicate with the healthcare team about how the athlete is responding.
The goal is not simply to get an athlete back on the field as quickly as possible.
The goal is to help an athlete return safely and confidently while considering their symptoms, physical demands, and overall recovery.
Athletic Trainers Are Part of the Concussion Care Team
Concussion recovery is often most effective when healthcare professionals communicate and work together.
An athletic trainer can serve as an important connection between the athlete, family, coaches, physicians, and rehabilitation providers.
At Colorado Concussion Clinic, athletic trainers may be involved in screening, assessment, rehabilitation, exercise testing, symptom monitoring, and coordination with other members of the care team.
This multidisciplinary approach allows treatment to address the individual athlete rather than focusing on a single symptom or system.
Questions About Returning to Sport?
If you or your child is experiencing persistent symptoms following a concussion, a comprehensive evaluation can help identify the factors affecting recovery and determine what types of rehabilitation may be appropriate.