Matthew Toming: Advances of Sports Medicine in America

     The US is still a frontier-busting nation when it comes to sports because the movements made over the years to increase athletes safety and awareness have advanced tremendously. Pushing boundaries and taking risks has gotten sports medicine where it is today.
Concussions are a primary focus of trainers around the country because they are a very serious injury and long term effects can be disastrous. In my Interview with St. Stephens athletic trainer  Elizabeth Bird, she defined a concussion: "A concussion is a result in changes on the cellular level of the brain from a blow to the head either direct or indirect that produces symptoms and sometimes alteration in mental status"(Elizabeth Bird). Elizabeth went on to explain that new ways to prevent and detect concussions are growing rapidly. The LSU football program has recently given their players  special mouth guards which can detect how hard a hit is and if a certain hit might have caused a concussion. The St. Stephens football team, as well as other football programs across the country, are trying a new method to prevent concussions by using guardian caps. These caps serve as an extra layer around the helmet to limit how severe a hit can be to the head.  Sports medicine has become very commonly known for giving cortisone injections to athletes to decrease swelling and help them be able to preform at a high level, even when injured. A teammate of mine was very suggestive towards this form of treatment: "It really helped me not feel any pain in my hip, and when I played the injury did not prevent me from going my hardest"(Trevor Bell). This form of treatment helps athletes play on injuries and makes them feel better. 
      Even though America has pushed the frontier in sports medicine and has made some great discoveries, they have showed lack in being able to push forward as well. The most dangerous sport in the world is basketball because there is so much cutting and pivoting involved. The fact is that even though knowledge and technology have improved over the years, athletes who play basketball have still come to sustain bad knee and ankle injuries at a very rapid rate.           In my post, I conclude that Americans love playing sports, as it is a necessity in many peoples lives. America has made this more enjoyable by pushing the frontier and making many new discoveries.