Trainer activities for a university soccer team / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

[Objective] The aim of this study is to clarify the activities performed by athletic trainers for a university soccer team over an academic year by focusing on rates of acupuncture therapy among players with acute or chronic sports injuries who underwent athletic rehabilitation.[Method] In this study, acupuncturists and Japan Sport Association-certified athletic trainers (JSPO-AT) performed specific tasks for a university men's soccer team (N = 28) between April 2019 and March 2020. The activities were divided into three broad categories athletic rehabilitation, acupuncture therapy, and in-game support. Trainer activity records were retrospectively analyzed to determine the number of days they were performed, the number of participants who completed athletic rehabilitation and those who underwent acupuncture therapy, the number of athletic rehabilitation and acupuncture therapy sessions based on injury type, and a breakdown of those who underwent acupuncture therapy.[Results] Trainer activities were performed on 63 days, of which athletic rehabilitation and in-game support were conducted on 48 and 15 days, respectively. A total of 101 participants underwent athletic rehabilitation, while 33 underwent acupuncture therapy (roughly one-third of those who underwent rehabilitation [33/101 32.7%]). Eleven (47.8%) of the 23 participants treated with athletic rehabilitation also underwent acupuncture therapy. All 11 were treated for the lower extremities; of the 11, nine had acute injuries while two had chronic injuries.[Discussion and Conclusion] Some players refused acupuncture therapy despite trainer recommendations, which may have affected the number who underwent acupuncture therapy. Acute lower-extremity injury was the most common issue in acute and chronic sports injuries treated by acupuncture in this soccer team over the course of one year.