Cupping therapy is a therapeutic modality that has been suggested to improve blood flow, decrease pain, and increase function. Due to the scarcity of the literature in regard to best practices, parameters for prescribing and applying cupping therapy is absent in competitive athletic population. To ensure appropriate usage of cupping therapy, gaps in the literature on range of motion, strength, proprioception, power, speed and agility must be investigated. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a single cupping therapy treatment to the gastrocnemius on Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test (YBT) scores in collegiate baseball players. Ten male (age 21.6 ± 1.90) collegiate baseball players participated in this study. Participants completed three attempts in the anterior, posterolateral, and posteromedial directions for both lower extremities per YBT procedures. Following baseline measurements, four plastic cups were applied to the gastrocnemius of the non-dominant lower extremity for 15-minutes. After treatment, follow up YBT scores were taken. Upon completion of data collection paired samples t-tests and oneway repeated measures ANOVAs were performed to determine significant differences in scores following cupping therapy. Significant improvements were found pre-and post-treatment in all three directions in the lower extremity receiving cupping therapy (p < 0.05). When compared with the control extremity, significant differences were found in the anterior and posteromedial directions (p < 0.05). These results suggest that a single cupping therapy treatment to the gastrocnemius may improve anterior and posteromedial YBT scores in collegiate baseball players. Further studies are required to determine the effects of multiple cupping therapy treatments, as well as long term effects of cupping therapy on dynamic stability.

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Following the widespread transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the majority of colleges and high schools canceled all face-to-face courses and athletic activities. As institutions allowed for athletes to return to campus, many institutions and government entities enacted requirements for the use of face masks or face coverings in public. Current research is being conducted to evaluate the epidemiology, recognition, treatment, and prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 , the disease associated with SARS-CoV-2. At the time of this study, there is no published research on attitudes toward and usage of face masks or face coverings among certified athletic trainers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to describe these attitudes toward face masks or face coverings and usage in this context. A total of 265 certified athletic trainers participated in this study (age= 42 ± 12, years of certified experience = 18 ± 11). An electronic survey was sent to these participants via email to collect demographic information and assess their attitudes toward and usage of face masks or face coverings. Data was downloaded and analyzed using a commercially available statistics package. The overwhelming majority of certified athletic trainers in this study, agreed on some level, the use of face masks to mitigate the transmission of SARS-CoV2 was strongly supported by the available evidence (Strongly Agree = 55.8%, Agree = 26.4%, Somewhat Agree = 9.4%). Most athletic trainers also reported that their institutions currently had mandates in place requiring face masks during patient encounters and coworker interactions (Patient Encounters = 66.4%, Coworker Interactions = 57.4%). Most athletic trainers reported wearing face masks the majority of the time when entering public spaces outside of work. Athletic trainers cited influence of their personal use of face masks, was for personal health, health of those in their household, and attempting to be a role model of best practices for public health. The findings of this study suggest a majority of athletic trainers are wearing face masks or face coverings, even when not actively involved in patient care or other aspects of their jobs