Assessment vs. Diagnosis  Assessment is the orderly collection of objective and subject data on the athlete’s health status  Diagnosis: using information form assessment and physical examination findings to establish the cause and nature of the athlete’s injury or disease  ONLY PHYSICIANS OR OTHER LICENSED HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS CAN DIAGNOSIS

Factors Influencing Athletic Injuries  Anthropomorphic Data:  Size, weight, body structure, gender, strength and maturity level  Mechanism of Force:  All energies involved at the time of an impact  Direction  Intensity  Duration  Activity  Position of body part

Factors Influencing Athletic Injuries  Speed:  The > the speed the > the chance of injury  Protective Equipment:  Designed to absorb and distribute force to avoid or lessen the severity of injury  Skill Level:  Athletes performing at higher skill levels have a reduced risk of severe injuries b/c of their increased knowledge of basic skill sets

Injury Evaluation  History (Hx)  Obtain a history first.  Don’t touch the individual until all related questions has been asked  Question witnesses of the incident

History  What happened? MOI?  When did the injury occur?  Where does it hurt? (now and time of injury)  Have you hurt this area before?  Did you hear or feel a pop, snap, or rip?  Pain Level? 1-10  0 = Pain  1-3 = Minimal pain  4-6 = Moderate Pain  7-9 = Severe Pain  10 = Emergency Room Pain

Hx Cont.  Type of Pain  Sharp or dull/achy?  Stabbing  Throbbing  Constant  Cramping  Intermittent  Painful at rest or only with use  Any unusual sensations: numbness, tingling, pins-and-needles, prickling, muscle weakness, paralysis, burning sensation

Hx Cont.  Is there any instability?  Sense of giving out  Feeling weak  Taped or braced?  Did you continue activity?

Obervation  Look at injury  Compare bilaterally  Obvious deformities  Discoloration/ecchymosis  Edema  Muscle atrophy

Palpation  Touching the injured athlete’s bones, ligaments, and muscles and tendons  Start on uninjured side and then work to the joint above injury, finishing with the injured area  Palpate firmly  Watch athlete’s face for signs of wincing or pain.

Special Tests  Special Tests include testing for:  Active Motion  Passive Motion  Strength  Stability (ligamentous laxity)