Mile High Sports Magazine February 2010 : Page 25
MILE HIGH MEDICAL PREPPING AND PATCHING THE PREPS Sports medicine care of the high school athlete BY STEPHANIE M. CHU, D.O. Medicine Brought to you by Sports Physicians for the Ac h sicians for the Active ou! Phys Active You! O rganized adolescent athletics are a largepart of teenage culture in the United States. An estimated seven million adolescents participatein highschool athletics and the number continues to grow; the last decade saw a 21 percent increase in participation. With such a rise in teenage involvement in athletics, sports medicine is essential for the injury preventionand careof the high school athlete. Although providing medical attention for the elite professional athlete may differ from the high school athlete, the underlying mission is the same – tending to an athlete. The organizational structure of sports medicine in high school athletics varies depending on the school district. Often, thereis a certified athletic traineronsiteona daily basis; this person is responsible for the athletic healthcare of all student-athletes. However, sometimes there is no medical health provider available to the student- athletes, and it is the parents’ responsibility to find an appropriate healthcare provider well versed in sportsmedicine. A sports medicine physician often works in conjunction with the school athletic trainer or sees the athlete independently as requested by the athlete’s family. The physician can also provide pre-participation physical examinations and can create an athlete’s return-to-participation guidelines following an injury. It is important to recognize there are some key components that are unique to the subspecialty of sports medicine when it comes to caringfor anathlete. These include: • Managing injuries on the field • Coordinating rehabilitation and return to participation • Providing proper preparation for safe return to participation after an illness or injury • Providing or facilitating appropriate education and counseling services regarding nutrition, strength and conditioning, ergogenic aids, substance abuse, and other medical problems that could affect the athlete • Possessing knowledge of providing emergency care at sporting events • Having a working knowledge of trauma, musculoskeletal injury and medical conditions affecting the athlete In addition, there are some unique factors that are taken into consideration with the injuries of the high school athlete: • Themost commonly injured areas of the body in the adolescent high school athlete include the ankle and knee followed by the hand,wrist, elbow, shin and calf, head, neck, and clavicle • Injury prevention is an important part of all athletics, but paramount in high school athletics, as many students plan to continue pursuing their sports at a higher level of competition • Factorsmaking high school athletes more prone to injuries include having a history of previous injuries, carrying excess weight, and whether or not the athlete is participating in a practice or in a full- fledged competition If you are a high school athlete or if you know someonewho is a high school athlete that needs assistance in their injury and/or prevention, call for an appointment with your high school sports medicine physician or with the one of the physicians at CU Sports Medicine, where all of the sports medicine doctors are fellowship trained specializing in sportsmedicine. milehighsports. com FEBRUARY 2010 25 Team Physicians for the CU Buffaloes. Open to the public for appointments. We accept most health insurance. The CU Sports Medicine team provides cutting- edge care for a full spectrum of activity-related injuries. Whether you’re a competitive or recreational athlete, we specialize in results oriented programs to “get you back in the game!” Denver 2000 S Colorado Blvd Colorado Center Tower One 720-848-8200 Boulder 311 Mapleton Avenue 303-441-2219 www.cusportsmed.org
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