Complications from therapeutic modalities: results of a national survey of athletic trainers.

Abstract

To understand better the frequency and type of complications encountered by athletic trainers. A descriptive questionnaire. Athletic training facilities at the high school, college, and professional levels, as well as physical therapy clinics. A total of 3012 certified athletic trainers employed in above-mentioned settings. Not applicable. Frequency and types of complications encountered for different modalities were computed. Primary modality type used and frequency of complications in different settings were explored. Of the 3012 surveyed, 905 (30%) responded, 26% of whom reported a complication; 362 total complications were documented. Cryotherapy accounted for 42% of complications, with allergic reactions (n=86), burns (n=23), and intolerance/pain (n=16) most commonly listed. Electric stimulation accounted for 29% of complications, with skin irritation (n=41), burns (n=40), and intolerance/pain (n=18) most commonly listed. Therapeutic heat accounted for 22% of complications; therapeutic exercise accounted for 7% of complications. Compared with documented complications in the peer-reviewed literature, our survey results differed vastly with regard to the complications encountered. This may reflect a learning phenomenon, a shift in modality usage, or a general underreporting of complications.