Jillian Thomas, Certified Athletic Trainer

Jillian Thomas, Certified Athletic TrainerJillian grew up in Missouri where she obtained her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees, both in athletic training, from Missouri State University.  While in graduate school, she worked with men’s and women’s swimming and diving, softball, field hockey, and women’s tennis.  She also previously worked providing outreach for an area high school and in an outpatient rehabilitation clinic in St. Louis, MO.  Throughout this time, she has gained experience working with patients of all ages and activity levels.  She is also a Licensed Chiropractic Assistant.

Jillian is certified in the Functional Movement Screen, Selective Functional Movement Assessment, instrument-assisted soft tissue massage, and kinesiology taping.  She utilizes a full-body approach to rehabilitation, understanding that the people who walk into this clinic are more than just the injured part.  Utilizing these tools and knowledge, she aims to find the cause of patients’ pain and empower them with tools moving forward to allow them to address this.  She believes that movement is medicine, finding practical movement applications that can carry over into the patient’s everyday life.

In her spare time, Jillian enjoys hiking and being outdoors, running, reading, and spending time with her husband and friends.

From the National Athletic Training Association:

What is athletic training?

Athletic training encompasses the prevention, examination, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of emergent, acute or chronic injuries and medical conditions. Athletic training is recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA), Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as an allied health care profession.

Who are athletic trainers?

Athletic trainers (ATs) are highly qualified, multi-skilled health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Athletic trainers work under the direction of a physician as prescribed by state licensure statutes.

Athletic trainers are sometimes confused with personal trainers. There is, however, a large difference in the education, skillset, job duties and patients of an athletic trainer and a personal trainer. The athletic training academic curriculum and clinical training follows the medical model. Athletic trainers must graduate from an accredited baccalaureate or master’s program, and 70% of ATs have a master’s degree.