Learn About Sports Concussions in Dr. Phillip Arnold Presentation at Crossroads, Mar 22

Posted on 18. Mar, 2011 by in Wellness

This upcoming presentation is part of an ongoing commitment by Ministry Door County Medical Center (MDCMC) to sports medicine, educating the community about the potential danger of concussions and the need for families and athletes to take them seriously.

More at SportsConcussion.com

“Concussions: A Modern Approach” is the title of a free presentation by Dr. Phillip Arnold at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, March 22. Dr. Arnold is board-certified in both sports medicine and family medicine. He will speak at Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay.

Dr. Arnold will address a wide range of topics including: what are sports concussions, why it is important to pay attention to them, as well as how they are identified, diagnosed and treated by professionals.

MCDMC also supports ImPACT—Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing at Door County schools, has a sports medicine staff including athletic trainers who attend area sports events and is a member of the Wisconsin Sports Concussion Collaborative (WSCC).

Dr. Arnold sees patients at MDCMC’s North Shore Medical Clinic in Fish Creek and is a member of the medical center’s medical staff. He holds certification in concussion management and serves as a certified physician with the U.S. ski team.  Dr. Arnold, who has been in practice since 2006, completed a sports medicine fellowship at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Virginia.

“The program will educate people in our community and give them resources so they understand why concussions are dangerous and why they need to be taken seriously,” said Tina Koyen, MDCMC athletic trainer.

“The research out there is constantly evolving, and we are learning so much more about concussions. Within the past five years, research has changed dramatically,” she continued.  Koyen is one of five MDCMC athletic trainers who provide complimentary training services to all Door County high schools’ sporting events and consult with athletes.

The March 22 program is recommended for parents, athletes, coaches, teachers and others who work with students and athletes.

Athletes who play basketball, football and other sports are at risk of suffering a concussion, which is a brain injury usually caused by a blow to the head or violent shaking of the head.

“Concussions that are mismanaged can have a lasting effect on athletes. They could potentially be fatal if they are not managed appropriately or the person may have brain damage if they have a repeat concussion. There are catastrophic outcomes that can occur,” Koyen says.

Helmets and other sports equipment are designed to protect players, but they cannot totally prevent concussions, she said.

“There is no 100% way to prevent concussions. They happen. You can minimize your risk, but nothing on the market will guarantee that you will not have a concussion,” Koyen says.

To step up its involvement on the issue, MDCMC joined the WSCC last fall. The nonprofit organization said its purpose is to “promote the health, safety and academic performance of Wisconsin student-athletes and others by improving the education, identification, diagnosis and treatment of concussions.”

“Concussions in athletes are a much more serious problem than has been recognized in the past.  Recent studies show that they are more common and take longer to heal than previously thought,” according to WSCC. The result can mean that the athlete suffers more concussions, prolonged symptoms, decreased academic performance and potentially permanent disability, WSCC says.

Also, since 2007, MDCMC has partnered with Door County high schools in the adoption of the ImPACT test concussion management tool that helps assess recovery following concussions.

ImPACT is a computerized concussion evaluation system. It is being used by the National Football League, National Basketball Association and other sports.

Here in Door County, MDCMC fully funds the annual cost associated with use of ImPACT by area high schools, according to Steve Quade, the medical center’s vice president of business and hospitality services.

Local athletes take a baseline online test to discover neurocognitive functions including memory, brain processing speed, reaction time and more.

If an athlete has a disturbance in brain function, the test is taken again “to objectively evaluate the athlete’s post-injury condition and track recovery for safe return to play,” according to ImPACT.

Dr. Arnold and other MDCMC sports medicine staff are ImPACT-certified.  After receiving his doctorate of osteopathic medicine degree from Des Moines University, Des Moines, Iowa, Dr. Arnold completed his residency in family medicine at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in Madison. He completed his Internship at St. John West Shore Hospital, Westlake, Ohio.

More information about his March 22 presentation is online at dcmh.org. Reservations are not necessary.

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