T.O.T.A.P.S is a way of assessing sports injuries in athletes and amateur players. It provides an easy way of remembering all the steps in assessing a sports injury before allowing a player to return to the field.
P = Passive Movement
process where you move an injured part
not too rough
moving the injured part / joint through its whole range of movement.
You should stop if any of the movements bring on pain.
A = Active Movement
Asking that person to move any injured parts
Active movement involves the athlete moving the injured part themselves. Ask them to perform a range of movements to see if these movements bring on pain
S = Skills
have the injured perform a series of skills or task to ensure full recovery
involves the athlete performing some basic skills relevant to their sport to see if these movements exacerbate the injury.
T = Talk
ask a question to the injured person
Ask about symptoms such as pain – find out the exact location of the pain and how severe it is.
O = Observe
Find and determine the condition of injury
Observing an injured body part is incredibly important. If a limb has been injured, always compare the injured limb to the uninjured limb.
Look for any open wounds, swelling, deformity or redness. Remember swelling may not occur immediately after an injury.
T = Touch
Touching the Injured part gently
Feel for any tenderness over the injury site. Severe tenderness when feeling a bone may indicate a fracture