Assessment Procedures

Two main assessment procedures are employed in health care. The first and most common is a symptom-based assessment, in which a specific treatment or remedy is given for a particular condition. In this approach, an athlete who complains of pain on the outside of the thigh down to the knee may be given a diagnosis of iliotibial band syndrome. A number of treatment options are possible for this syndrome, and one or more may be chosen and usually directed at the area of pain.

A second method of assessment is based on a more complete evaluation, which takes into account the athlete’s symptoms but includes other tests that consider the whole person. In this situation, the goal of the assessment process is not necessarily to find a name for the condition but to find what is causing it. An athlete with a diagnosis of iliotibial band syndrome might have different sets of problems and causes. An examination is made not only in the area of pain but throughout the body. The practitioner may evaluate the function of the foot and ankle, the pelvis, and other structures, including testing all the muscles that support these areas. The training and racing history is also considered. Treatment is directed at the areas that appear to be the cause of the symptoms, which may not necessarily be the site of pain. In addition, most injuries are also associated with some type of physical dysfunction, such as muscle imbalance. An effective therapy results not only in the elimination of pain but also in the restoration of normal function, which further helps the athlete’s overall performance and health.

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Unfortunately, many sports medicine approaches have turned into symptom-based treatments in both mainstream and complementary medicine. Consider acupuncture—it was traditionally practiced by assessing the individual’s imbalances, regardless of the complaint. Much of this has changed in our fast-pasted Western health-care system, and today acupuncture is more often practiced by treating the symptoms. Other therapies, such as cranial and spinal manipulation and nutrition, have gone the same way. There are many cookbook diets and dietary supplements used for specific conditions: the cholesterol-lowering diet, the weight-loss diet; or mega doses of vitamin C for colds, creatine phosphate for energy, and chromium for fat burning. These cookbook approaches neglect a more thorough assessment since individualized care can be much more effective.