|
|
|
The Present The cowboys who sporadically filed into the small, crowded trailer did not seem to be concerned about its small size. They cared more about getting comfort from the health practitioners inside. David Reid, a horse bucking rider from British Columbia, explained that massage therapy helped him prior to his performances. What determined whether he got massage therapy or another form of treatment was the type of injury or tension he was experiencing. "Well, massage seems to work the best for me," said Reid, adding, "Different things work for different people. Massage makes me feel good, and you gotta feel good to do this. You gotta work at it. Massage definitely helps, as does exercise." Like his cowboy colleagues, Reid does not have a private massage therapist who travels with him, so the addition of massage therapy to the Sport Medicine Team was very beneficial for him. "We don't make very much money, we cowboys. We barely survive," he said, explaining that they travel from one rodeo to another at their own expense. The type of injuries that occur vary and the reason that massage therapists must have some sport medicine training is that if a massage therapist is the only one in the trailer when a cowboy walks in with a specific injury requiring attention, at least the massage therapist can identify the injury and assist the cowboy immediately and/or collaborate with the athletic therapist later. This is how the multidisciplinary approach works. All the practitioners have a common knowledge of the type of injuries received in the field. Monty Ross, a bull rider from British Columbia, agreed. "These guys know what they're doing. They're trained." He limped over to the trailer to be treated for a recurring injury to his ankle but was still determined to perform. Though he had more chiropractic than massage therapy, he admitted "I'd like to do them all if they're paid for. It really helps a lot if it gets done properly." Another bull rider waiting for a massage was Scott Schiffner, a native Albertan. Obviously in pain, this determined 19-year-old wasn't going to let the bull who fell on him the night before shatter his dream of staying in pro rodeo until he is 35. He's been riding steers since he was 10 years old and is only in his second year of pro rodeo. Growing up, that's all he wanted to do for a living. He described massage therapy as better at "loosening you up" than chiropractic care, especially if you have to go out there and ride with tension from a previous injury. He felt that chiropractic care helped but it made him sore after an adjustment and that's not what he needed prior to a performance. Just like the other cowboys, the respect for the Pro Rodeo Sport Medicine Team was apparent when he commented, "The other guys don't quite understand rodeo as much as these guys do. Lots of other guys tell you to stop instead of helping you deal with it, doctors in general. That's why we kinda stay with sport medicine 'cause that's what they're here for and they understand it."
|
