News: Distinguished Medical Panel Talks Adolescent Athletes and Health Issues

(April 23, 2012) - A medical panel with a wealth of experience and knowledge presented a informative look Saturday afternoon at Loudoun Inova Hospital on adolescent athletes and health issues. The event kicked off the Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) implementation fund grant awarded by the American Academy of Pediatrics to Dr. C. Damon Moore of Pediatric Healthcare in Loudoun.

The grant will fund 200 free sports physical to be offered in May.

The panel's presentations were an eye opener for athletes, parents, coaches and league administrators.

Dr. Damon Moore

Dr. Moore opened things talking about the "Importance of annual  health maintenance visits and sports physicals -- it all starts with the medical home".

Dr. Jin Park

Dr. Ray Lower

Next up, Dr. Jin Park spoke on "Cardiac screening for student athletes". Dr. Ray Lower then spoke on "Common orthopedic issues and how they affect sports participation."

The panel concluded with a though-provoking presentation on the hot-button issue of concussions as Dr. Ron Waldrop covered "Concussion identification and management".

Dr. Ron Waldrop

One of the points Dr. Waldrop touched on is that concussions should actually be identified as traumatic brain injury and that often leads to a more respect of the injury from athletes and parents. He also said that the average recovery time from a concussion is from two to eight weeks and that some symptoms may take up to 72 hours to appear.

Symptoms may include headache, nausea, vomiting, balance problems, behavior problems, sensitivity to light and sound, and sleep abnormalities. Loss of conciseness and memory loss are not required for the diagnosis.

Dr. Waldrop said the most important factor in concussion recovery is the degree and length of sensory withdrawal within the first week -- including such factors as light, sound, reading, TV, texting, computer, exertion, etc. Patients should not return to school until symptom free and/or after an initial concussion evaluation.