October 2001 • Volume 7 • Number 10
Members of the U.S. ice sledge hockey team rest during a break in practice at the 1998 paralympics in Nagano, Japan. Cindy Chang, M.D. (see previous story), a member of the U.S. medical team, said athletes "were very, very thankful for our medical care."Treating disabled athletes is part of the game plan
Disabled athletes face many of the same ailments and injuries as able-bodied athletes, says FP Brian Halpern, M.D., of Marlboro, N.J.
Halpern is medical director of the Disabled Athlete's Clinic that opened a few months ago at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. He says disabled athletes show up with a variety of medical needs. "We take care of soup to nuts -- they have prosthetic issues, exercise issues, skin issues, tendonitis, bone density issues. We really take care of the whole athlete."
The clinic's goal is to empower the disabled athlete to return to his or her sport or exercise program following evaluation and treatment. A multidisciplinary team approach offers the expertise of sports medicine physicians, physical and occupational therapists, prosthetic and orthotic technicians, nutritionists, nurses and social workers. The focus on treating the sports injury at hand remains the same, whether the patient is a professional or recreational athlete.
"I think in the past, we've focused too much on the athlete's disabilities, instead of the sports performance within that disability," Halpern says.
FP Report is published by the AAFP News Department.
Copyright © 2001 by American Academy of Family Physicians.
FP Report | Headlines |AAFP Home | Search
