Marathon to add medical stations in case going gets tough
October 8, 2008
by Matt Doyle
Oct 07, 2008
Ninety degree temperatures created a medical emergency for many Chicago Marathon runners last year, paving the way for improved medical care for Sunday’s 31st annual race.
The event was halted last year after four hours because temperatures hovered at nearly 90 degrees. One runner died after collapsing in the marathon and numerous others required hospital care.
The added health care includes 20 “aid stations” spaced one to two miles apart this year compared to 15 last year, according to race organizers. Medical professionals will be available at the stations along with water, Gatorade, and restrooms.
Race organizers also announced the addition of an extra medical tent available at the 26-mile mark along with the main medical tent at the finish line. The tent offers varied medical services. Some other added safety measures include a color-coded weather alert system customized to monitor and report wind, temperature and humidity conditions along the course of the race.
“We learned a lot from the experience of the 2007 race,” said Carey Pinkowski, executive director of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in a recently released statement. “The improvements and additions for 2008 will strengthen this race by providing a stronger runner support system and offering insight to our road racing peers.”
Still, runners can avoid problems by adhering to simple sports fundamentals.
“Regularly consume water during the marathon,” said Dr. Paul Lento of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Watch for neurological symptoms such as lightheadedness, dizziness or swelling of the limbs, he said. “Those types of things may indicate a heat illness and someone should seek out a medical station.”
People should listen to their bodies, according to Lento. After training for an extended period of time to run the race, people should understand their limits.
“People have to have a plan,” said Dr. Preston Wolin, the director of the Sports Medicine Program at the Neurologic and Orthopedic Hospital of Chicago. “We are talking about several months [of training],” he said. “I think we all learned last year about the importance of hydration, not only during the race, but beforehand and after. There is not really any substitute for that. People tend to forget that hydration is important even on days when it is not hot.”
First-time marathoners should hydrate every chance they get and remember that the race is a marathon, not a sprint, said Chris Hall, the University of Chicago’s men’s and women’s cross-country and track and field coach,. Approximately 40 percent of the 45,000 marathon participants are first-timers, according to race organizers. That means an estimated 18,000 first-time participants for this week’s race.
“You will feel like this is easy [at first],” Hall said. “It’s a challenge to keep yourself controlled and to think your way through the early stages of the race versus getting caught up in it. The best advice for the beginners is that they are very cautious during the early stages of the race.”
The weather forecast for Sunday calls for mostly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 70s, according to weather.com,. “That is still pretty warm,” Hall advised. “But that is not nearly what it was a year ago. It was tough out there, even watching as a spectator.”
The 26.2-mile marathon course begins and ends at Columbus Drive in Grant Park.
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Concussions can have major ImPACT on athletes - Dr. Karahalios featured in Hinsdale Doings
October 8, 2008
October 2, 2008By KEN RYAN
As a linebacker on the Hinsdale Central football team, senior Brendan Sullivan takes pride in delivering punishing hits to opponents.
On occasion, however, he’s been the one to get his bell rung.
Sullivan, who also is an avid boxer and former wrestler, has suffered two concussions that he’s aware of during his athletic career but has no plans on hanging up the cleats.
“It’s never crossed my mind,” Sullivan said. “You only have so long to play sports. If there comes a time when someone says you can’t play football anymore, I’ll worry about it then.” Read more
Concussions - Channel 9 segment featuring Dr. Karahalios
September 12, 2008
Concussions
http://www.impacttest.com/
In tonight’s Medical Watch — the software that’s doing even more than hard gear to protect athletes on the football field.
The hits come hard and fast … even at the high school level.
Brendan Sullivan, Hinsdale Central Football Player: “My helmet got knocked off and I got head butted by an opposing player.”
That was last fall when Brendan Sullivan took such a hard hit he was left dazed and confused.
Brendan Sullivan: “I didn’t really realize I had a concussion until I stated I was going to go fishing at half time.”
On the sidelines his coaches and athletic trainer reeled him in. They knew exactly what had happened to Brendan — he had suffered a concussion.
Ted Hirschfeld, Head Athletic Trainer, Hinsdale Central High School: “We might see anywhere from 5 to 10 at the most.”
Dr. Dean Karahalios, CINN Neurosurgeon: “It’s not something you can see on a CT scan or MRI scan but significant physiological change on how the brain functions because of these injuries.”
And that’s why it’s so difficult to determine if a patient has made a full recovery. For Brendan, a week of rest was all it took. But other athletes need more time.
Dr. Dean Karahalios: “Its when the concussion does not resolve completely and the athlete goes back and is concussed again. It does not even need to be an injury as severe as the first one, thats when you get permanent brain damage.
It’s called second impact syndrome and it can result in motor, visual and memory impairments. That’s why Hinsdale Central added an extra layer of protection in the form of computer software. The impact program measures an athlete’s cognitive function with simple word and memory tests. At the beginning of the season each athlete takes the test for a baseline measurement.
If the athlete suffers a concussion, they take another impact test to gauge their recovery.
Dr. Karahalios: “What’s particularly good about the software it doesn’t rely on the athletes subjective feeling it doesn’t take into account the clinicians subjective feeling about how an athlete is recovering but really objectify so it’s really accurate.”
Ted Hirschfeld: They can return to activity when they are symptom free, when their post injury test has the same numbers or better than their baseline test. It’s just our way of trying to offer a little better care to the athletes we take care of.”
Hinsdale Central is one of hundreds of high schools embracing this technology as an extra layer of protection for their athletes.
Dr. Karahalios interviewed by Channel 9 to discuss concussions in high school sports
September 11, 2008
Many aspects of concussion were discussed with Channel 9 in this morning’s interview. The interview will air on Channel 9 Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. Some of the important points on concussion in youth include:
- 50% of High School Athlete concussions go unreported
- Estimated between 1.6-3.8 million sports related concussions each year
- 75% of athletes surveyed did not know the signs and symptoms of a concussion
- Concussion caused by a variety of mechanisms:
- Contact with an opponent (64%)
- Contact with a teammate (17%)
- Contact with the ground (10%)
- Contact with objects on the field (4%)
Athletes who sustain multiple concussions may have chronic symptoms, including:
- Decreased processing speed
- Short-term memory impairment
- Concentration deficit
- Irritability/Depression
- Fatigue/Sleep disturbance
- General feeling of “fogginess”
- Academic difficulties
- When directly compared to collegiate and professional athletes, High School athletes exhibit longer neurocognitive and symptom recovery following sports concussion
Criteria for Return to Play
- Symptom free at rest
- Symptom free at exertion
- Normal neurocognitive data
Concussion Signs & Symptoms
Signs observed by coaches, trainers, parents, teammates:
- Appears to be dazed/stunned
- Confused about assignment
- Forgets plays
- Unsure of game, score or opponent
- Moves clumsily
- Answers questions slowly
- Loses consciousness (even temporarily)
- Shows behavior or personality change
- Forgets events prior to hit
- Forgets events after hit
Symptoms reported by athlete
- Headache
- Nausea
- Balance problems or dizziness
- Double or fuzzy vision
- Sensitivity to light or noise
- Feeling sluggish
- Feeling foggy
- Change in sleep pattern
- Concentration or memory problems
Through CINN’s concussion management program, any athlete in the Chicagoland area may request a free ImPACT Software Baseline Test. Email us at info@neuro-ortho.org to submit your request.
Gorilla led generations in Lincoln Park, Louisville
August 20, 2008
NOHC Medical Director and Orthopedic Surgeon, John Hefferon, M.D., mentioned for his good deed in helping an arthritic gorilla at Lincoln Park Zoo. Read the story that appeared in the Chicago Tribune.
By William Mullen - Chicago Tribune reporter
8:37 PM CDT, August 15, 2008
Frank, a pint-sized male silverback gorilla whose generous heart made him one of the most popular and valued animals at Lincoln Park Zoo for 30 years, was euthanized Thursday at the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky, where he moved in 2002.
Born in the wild in Cameroon in 1964, Frank came to Lincoln Park as a baby, one of four young males and four young females the zoo assembled to begin one of the most successful gorilla captive breeding groups in the world. Read more
An afternoon with Micky Collins, Ph.D.
August 15, 2008
Statistically, over 50% of high school sports-related concussions go unreported. Are you prepared to protect your athletes and reverse this growing trend?
Please come to learn from one of the world’s foremost experts on sports-related concussion, Micky Collins, Ph.D., and hone your skills in identifying the often subtle symptoms.
Dr. Collins is in Chicago for one day at the Neurologic & Orthopedic Hospital of Chicago.
Space is limited, so registration is suggested for this free event. Please call 773-250-1009 or email us at info@neuro-ortho.org
An Afternoon with Micky Collins, Ph.D.
Wednesday
September 3, 2008
Neurologic & Orthopedic
Hospital of Chicago
4501 N Winchester, Chicago, IL 60640
12:30 - 1:30 PM
Lunch with Micky Collins, Ph.D.
1:30 - 2:45 PM
What’s New in Concussion Diagnosis & Management
2:45 - 4:30 PM
Concussion Case Studies Using the ImPACT Concussion Management Software
Michael Collins, Ph.D. is a nationally renowned sports concussion clinician and researcher who administers and oversees clinical programs for concussion management for sports teams at several major high schools throughout the country. He is a clinical consultant to numberous Major League Baseball teams and to several amateur and professional sports organizations, both nationally and internationally.
Kneeded pep work
August 13, 2008
From the Chicago Sun-Times, August 12, 2008
15-MINUTE SPORTS WARM-UP | Study finds jumping, stretching drills can help prevent ACL injuries more common in female athletes
It’s a troubling reality in the world of competitive sports. Female athletes are more prone to knee injuries than their male counterparts, especially tears to the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, which helps control rotation of the knee. Read more
Jim Suttie golf clinic
July 21, 2008
Western suburbs, IL -
Renowned PGA guru Dr. Jim Suttie, a Lemont teacher known as Illinois’ best golf instructor, will share his secrets to surviving the golf course without hurting your back during a clinic from 6:45 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Pine Meadow Golf Club, 1 Pine Meadow Lane, Mundelein.
With golf’s popularity continuing to grow and more than 1.3 million Illinois golfers experiencing back pain, Suttie has developed tips and techniques to keep golfers from hurting their backs.
Suttie will be joined by Dr. Dan Hurley, physiatrist at the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch, who will explain common swing-related back and spine ailments. Hurley has been treating patients with back pain — exacerbated by golfing — for more than 15 years. Read more
Pass the word on an upcoming injury prevention lecture
July 18, 2008
Staying Off the DL
Wednesday, August 13, 2008 1:30 – 2:30 PM
Lake Forest Club
554 N Westmoreland Rd,
Lake Forest, IL
Non members welcome
Playing through a season injury-free has become a significant challenge for today’s youth athletes. Increased competition, more frequent practice sessions, and, in the case of females, genetic predisposition, have contributed to a rise in sports-related youth injuries. Read more
Preventing ACL injuries in female athletes
July 16, 2008
COMPLIMENTARY SPORTS INJURY PREVENTION PAMPHLET FOR WOMEN
(Click here to request a Knee Injury Prevention pamphlet)
It’s estimated that more than 1.4 million women tear an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) every year. That’s double the number from a decade ago. Responding to a recent increase in sports injuries among female athletes, the Neurologic & Orthopedic Hospital has introduced a new informational pamphlet for female athletes. The pamphlet, entitled “Leveling the Playing Field: Knee Injury Prevention Strategies for Female Athletes, “ includes tips for reducing an individual’s risk of injuries and strengthening exercises for improving balance, coordination, power, strength and speed.
