Objective: Management of sport-related concussion (SRC) has undergone significant changes over the past decade. Recommendations have shifted from a rest only approach during recovery to incorporating exercise as a therapeutic intervention. Athletic trainers (AT) are health care professionals who are often responsible for the recognition, evaluation, and manangement of these injuries. While previous research has investigated multiple aspects of athletic trainers’ knowledge and utilization of best practice recommendations, no study has examined their use of exercise. This study aimed to explore the experiences of collegiate ATs who regularly prescribe exercise to their patients as part of their concussion management protocol. Method: A phenomenological approach to qualitative inquiry was used. Through purposive sampling, athletic trainers known to the researchers were invited to participated. Eight ATs who were identified as implementers participated in semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the collected data. Results: Six major themes emerged from our analysis of the experiences of athletic trainers: 1) Considerations for exercise; 2) Barriers & Concerns; 3) The exercise prescription; 4) Outcomes; and 5) Resouces. Conclusion: Participants faced both extrinsic and intrinsic challenges when shifting their concussion management protocols to include exercise during the symptomatic period. There were few negative experiences and the ATs in our study felt their patient outcomes were overwhelmingly positive. Perceived benefits of exercise included improved mood, quicker symptom resolution, and potentially improved recovery time. Team physician involvement was critical to the implementation of using exercise as a therapeutic intervention.
