Athletic Injury? There's an App for That

Believe it or not, your smartphone or tablet may be the latest tool for you to use in treating your athletes and helping to prevent future injury.

Athletic trainers are turning to apps for mobile devices to help them assess their athletes' form and correct for overextension that can cause future athletic injuries. According to trainer Rocky Tekulve, "This assessment can help athletes by identifying flaws in their mechanics that's placing undue streess on certain tissues so that we can correct that and make sure that those tissues are no longer overloaded in an inappropriate manner." 

The video-analysis software allows trainers to videotape athletes and examine their mechanics frame by frame.

To help reduce the risk of injuries, athletic trainers are using special software to teach young players how to perform correctly and safely. 

The growing use of software, particularly apps for mobile devices, is one of the newest developments in athletic training, said Rocky Tekulve, a trainer with Wellington Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine. “It allows us to videotape the athlete and take a look at their mechanics, frame by frame.”

This article excerpt, by Gretchen MacKnight and Mark Bowen of WCPO, originally appeared here: www.wcpo.com/news/health/healthy-living/checkups-trainers-athletics-apps (video included).