How Can AI Help Athletic Trainers?

If you are an Athletic Trainer, take a quick look at these exercises and decide if they are good suggestions for a young athlete with shin splint issues: 

1. Toe Curls or Towel Scrunches: Sit with your feet flat on a towel on the floor. Use your toes to scrunch the towel towards you, then push it away. This exercise strengthens the arches of your feet and the lower leg muscles.
2. Calf Raises: Stand near a wall for balance. Slowly rise up on your toes, then lower back down. This strengthens the calf muscles and can be performed with both legs together or one leg at a time for increased difficulty.
3. Heel Drops: Stand on a step with your heels hanging off the edge. Slowly lower your heels down below the step, then raise them to tiptoe position. This exercise helps stretch and strengthen the Achilles tendon and calf muscles.

As we are not Athletic Trainers, we are not sure if those are good suggestions. But... they sound like good ones. 

Keep in mind, I did not come up with those exercises. Artificial Intelligence did (ChatGPT4, to be exact.) 

Which begs the questions —can AI help ATs do their jobs in any better? In a real world, practical way?

AI is not perfect. Not even close. You've seen the weird images of people with seven fingers and three hands? 

(Here's one of those weird AI-generated images...)

Given that AI is not flawless, it is possible that the exercise suggestions it provides for shin splints may include some inaccuracies as well. Right?

Well then... should Athletic Trainers consider using AI to help them with their work?

Absolutely. Why? 

Let's say, for example, that you did need to write out a list of shin splint exercises for a patient. Starting with a blank page can be daunting. Or you just don't have the time to write it all out as well as you'd like. 

By getting AI to start the process, you've won half the battle. If 3 of the 7 exercises suggestions that it comes up with are good, you can eliminate the other 4 and edit what's there. You're done in less time and only had to make a few minor improvements. 

AI isn't there to give full-scale healthcare advice to patients. Most certainly not yet. It's not there to replace you, but... maybe AI is there to help you. A little bit. 

What if you asked AI to write an email to a parent. It might not turn out great, at first, but you can fix it.

What if you wanted to have it create an ATR schedule that you want to print and post on the door? That would save you a lot of time - even if you have to make some minor changes. 

Always remember, it is easier to edit than it is to create. 

If you have access, take advantage of AI when and where you can. It might save you some time. 

Oh, and here's the prompt I used for the shin splint question: 

What are some rehabilitation exercises that young adults can do to strengthen their legs to avoid shin splints? 

And here's the entire piece that it wrote out: 

"Shin splints, known medically as medial tibial stress syndrome, are a common injury among athletes and those engaged in high-impact activities. They occur when there is excessive stress on the shinbone and the tissues attaching the shinbone to the muscles surrounding it.

To help prevent shin splints, it's important to strengthen the muscles in the legs, improve flexibility, and enhance overall stability. Here are some rehabilitation exercises designed for young adults to strengthen their legs and reduce the risk of shin splints:

Toe Curls or Towel Scrunches: Sit with your feet flat on a towel on the floor. Use your toes to scrunch the towel towards you, then push it away. This exercise strengthens the arches of your feet and the lower leg muscles.

Calf Raises: Stand near a wall for balance. Slowly rise up on your toes, then lower back down. This strengthens the calf muscles and can be performed with both legs together or one leg at a time for increased difficulty.

Heel Drops: Stand on a step with your heels hanging off the edge. Slowly lower your heels down below the step, then raise them to tiptoe position. This exercise helps stretch and strengthen the Achilles tendon and calf muscles.

Seated Shin Stretch: Sit on your knees with your legs together, feet under your buttocks, toes pointed behind you. Gently sit back onto your heels, feeling a stretch in your shins. Hold for 15-30 seconds to stretch the front of your shins.

Anterior Tibialis Strengthening: Sit with your legs stretched out in front of you. Wrap a resistance band around a sturdy object and then loop it around the top of your foot. Flex your foot towards you against the resistance of the band. This strengthens the muscles at the front of your shin.

Single-Leg Hops: Stand on one leg and hop in place, ensuring you land softly each time. This exercise improves leg strength and stability, helping to prevent overuse injuries like shin splints.

Walking Lunges: Step forward with one leg and lower your hips to drop your back knee towards the floor, keeping your front knee over your ankle. Push back up and step forward, alternating legs. This exercise strengthens the entire leg, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.

Incorporating these exercises into your regular training routine can help improve leg strength, flexibility, and resistance to injuries such as shin splints. It's also important to gradually increase the intensity of your workouts, wear proper footwear, and ensure adequate rest and recovery to avoid overuse injuries. If you're experiencing shin splints or other leg injuries, consider consulting a physical therapist or healthcare provider for personalized advice and rehabilitation plans."

Not too bad for just typing in one sentence. And remember, the more details you provide, the better the response may be! So, good luck with AI! See what it can do for you.