Spotlight: Athletic trainer Amelia Carlson is a teammate for both patients and surgeons

Every day is different for athletic trainer Amelia Carlson, MS, LAT, ATC, who assists our orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine physicians in caring for injuries and pain.

Carlson is based at the M Health Fairview Clinics and Specialty Center in her hometown of Princeton. She also sees patients throughout the north metro at M Health Fairview clinics in Elk River and Fridley and supports our sports medicine program at M Health Fairview Clinic – Blaine. 

Athletic trainers wear a number of hats. We asked Carlson about her role with our orthopedic and sports medicine teams as well as her journey to working in a clinical setting.

What is your role as an athletic trainer?

Athletic trainers make an impact for teams across our system. I work alongside our orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine physicians to support patients dealing with acute injury or pain. Sports medicine cares for orthopedic injuries that don’t require surgery, including fractures, sprains, strains, as well as muscle, bone, and joint pain. In my role, I get to assist with casting, splinting, brace fitting, and education, as part of both surgical and non-surgical treatment.

M Health Fairview also partners with local high schools to provide athletic trainer staffing for games; I support many local youth sports events, as well.

I play a role in every step of the injury because of my education as an athletic trainer: how to take a patient from injury through treatment and the rehabilitation process and get them back to activity. We’re able to play this role with everyone, whether or not they’re an athlete. It’s about supporting patients at every step of the process and helping them achieve their goals, whether that’s a return to daily activities or a return to competitive sport.

How do you support patients before, during, and after treatment?

I lead intake when a patient first comes to our team. I get a lot of their initial history, including how and when the injury happened and any past medical concerns. As athletic trainers, it’s engrained in us to get a very detailed picture of what happened. We help doctors so they come in with background, and we also decide if we need any additional tests, like X-rays, right away. 

Some of the treatments I specialize include fitting patients for casts, crutches, or slings. Sometimes casting is the first line of treatment and may make a difference in whether the patient will need surgery or not down the road. In some cases, a cast is used for fractures when surgery is not necessary, and my job is to ensure the patient has a well-fitting cast that is molded in all the right spots.

Athletic trainers are also able to assist with surgical procedures that are done in clinic, and I assist with wound care and suture removal after surgery. We’re there to support both surgeons and patients. It’s scary being told you have to see a surgeon; I do whatever I can to make the patient’s day a little brighter.

Athletic trainers like myself provide a lot of patient education throughout treatment, including ways to help patients stay active at home. If they need more specialized therapy, we can help refer them to a physical or occupational therapist.

How did you start working with our orthopedics and sports medicine team?

I started with M Health Fairview over three years ago working in high school settings. Eventually, the opportunity came to switch into a clinical role. I was nervous when making the move to orthopedic surgery, but I’ve been in this role about two years now and have loved every minute. Every day I learn something new, and no two days are the same.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Each patient is unique. Even if they’re suffering from the same injury, the best treatment plan and their recovery will vary. I enjoy tailoring care to each individual, and it keeps me on my toes.

The biggest thing for me is getting to work with people from diagnosis through recovery. I’m a familiar face for them in clinic. We follow up a few times soon after surgery, and you can tell on people’s faces that they’re feeling better. You hear their stories: they got to go for a walk at their cabin, they got to play with their grandchildren.

We support everyday people ― yes, we support youth athletes or weekend warriors, but we also support people who aren’t in competitive sports, who just want to return to their daily activities, go for a walk, and enjoy time with family.

If you are struggling with a muscle, bone, or joint problem, call our Orthopedic Scheduling team at 612-672-7100 to see a member of our orthopedic, surgical or non-surgical, team.