WHEELING, W.Va. - With high school fall sports beginning, Dr. Derrick Eddy, board-certified physician in sports medicine at Wheeling Hospital, will be holding Saturday Sports Clinics.
"Obviously, most of the injuries we see are football-related," Eddy said. "A lot involve ligament sprains, muscle-tendon strains, fractures and concussions. Injuries occur in other sports too, including soccer, cheerleading golf and even some cross country. We treat them all."
At 9 a.m. every Saturday beginning Aug. 28, Eddy will see patients at his office in Tower 3 of the hospital. Appointments are not necessary.
Eddy is the only Wheeling-area physician who schedules the special Saturday morning sports clinics, which will last about 10 weeks. His regular office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, call 304-243-8630.
After completing his medical degree and residency at West Virginia University Medical School, Eddy completed a two-year fellowship in sports medicine at Akron Children's Hospital. While there, he was team physician for the University of Akron and Walsh University.
In addition to the Saturday Sports Clinic, Wheeling Hospital continues to conduct concussion testing through its ImPACT program. The program monitors the status and recovery of anyone suffering a concussive-type head injury. It is the same program used by the NFL and the National Hockey League, as well as many colleges and high schools nationwide.
ImPACT software enables the Physical Therapy Department staff to help determine if an athlete is having problems as a result of the concussion. It provides physicians with data to supplement their decision-making process to ensure a safer return to sports. With the ImPACT system, the therapists can identify issues even when an athlete has no complaint or outward sign of a concussion problem.
The Physical Therapy Department also provides baseline testing, using ImPACT, for all area student-athletes. Once a baseline is established, the department can retest the student-athlete who has suffered a concussion and compare the data.
The test data, along with the clinical evaluation, helps assist in the 'return-to-play' decision-making process for each individual, as opposing to following a national guideline.
For more information on ImPACT or baseline testing, call 304-243-3307.
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