Former Boston Red Sox athletic trainer Mike Reinold could be facing some major legal troubles including violating Massachusetts state law and medical ethics law after information surfaced that he injected Red Sox players with the prescription medication Toradol.
Toradol (ketorolac tromethamine) is a non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain on a short-term basis. It falls into the same category as over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications such as Mortin and Aleve.
While Toradol doesn’t produce the sedation and possible habit-forming effects of narcotic analgesics such as Vicodin, it does carry a “Black Box Warning” from the Food and Drug Administration.
A “Black Box Warning” requires pharmaceutical companies to include a bold warning not only on the packaging of the product, but on the patient instruction sheet as well. Further literature is provide to the patient informing them of the serious or life-threatening risks associated with taking the medication.
The Toradol can produce some serious side effects including renal (kidney) failure. (Trust me, I’m talking from personal experience.)
Reinold injected players during home and away games from 2006 through 2011, according to witnesses and a investigation by Major League Baseball.
On March 28, 2012, MLB released a league-wide memo that prohibited athletic trainers from injecting players with Toradol.
Reinold wasn’t the only trainer that had administered the medication, however, he was the center of the MLB investigation per Yahoo! Sports.com.
A search on the Massachusetts Board of Allied Health Professionals website, didn’t return any results regarding an active license for Reinold as either an athletic trainer or physical therapist.
The board has disciplined multiple trainers:
The Massachusetts board of Allied Health Professionals, which regulates trainers in the state, has disciplined multiple trainers in recent years for injecting patients, regardless of the drug administered. per Yahoo! Sports.com.
According to a statement obtained by Yahoo! Sports.com, director of communications for the Massachusetts’ Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulations Amie Breton had this to say on the issue at hand:
It is the board’s position that athletic trainers are prohibited from using injectables.
That essentially means Reinold was actually performing duties outside his scope of practice.
Reinold currently operates a website and blog that promotes his goal to “share my thoughts and experience (with your thoughts and experience) on several topics related to the current concepts & recent advances in rehabilitation, injury prevention, and performance enhancement.”
It is aimed at professionals practicing in physical therapy, occupational therapy and multiple sports related positions including athletic trainers.
His last blog post was dated February 14.
According to Reinold’s website and blog:
Michael M. Reinold, PT, DPT, SCS, ATC, CSCS is considered a leader in the field of sports medicine, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement. As a physical therapist, athletic trainer, and certified strength and conditioning specialist, Mike uses his background in sport biomechanics, movement quality, and muscles imbalances to specialize in all aspects of human performance. He has worked extensively with a variety of professional athletes with emphasis on the care of throwing injuries in baseball players.
The website doesn’t list any of Reinold’s background or schooling credentials.
However, an excerpt from the Yahoo! Sports article states:
Reinold, who received a doctorate in physical therapy, also studied at the American Sports Medicine Institute, the renowned medical facility, research lab and think tank run by Dr. James Andrews.
Reinold was fired from the Red Sox in 2012 and has yet to find employment with another Major League Baseball club.
As far any legal ramifications into Reinold’s misconduct, no investigation has been launched by the Massachusetts Board of Allied Health Professionals unless a formal complaint is brought forth.
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