Loudoun County, Va. — If you have participated in sports there is a good chance that you or one of your teammates has suffered from a concussion. Concussion research is steadily growing and health clinicians are gaining more insight about the best practices for athletes who have sustained a concussion. While there are various factors to consider, evaluate, and manage, safely returning to sport should be taken seriously by the athlete, coaches, and parents. Return-to-Play Protocol Return-to-play (RTP) protocols take an athlete from stationary exercise, to full sport-specific execution before returning to the field or court. Each stage requires the…

Loudoun County, Va. — School starting in August means the end of the summer and beginning of the fall, but Virginia’s hot and humid weather always sticks around, and you should expect no different as the 2019-2020 school year approaches. With these hot temperatures comes the risk of heat-related illnesses. It is important that athletes in the area stay safe and healthy when they exercise outside or continue to enjoy outdoor activities even after summer break ends. Hot and humid weather conditions can be dangerous; that’s why parents, coaches and athletic trainers have to constantly stress the importance of staying…

Loudoun County, Va. — “Pop!” That’s the dreaded sensation an athlete may feel in his or her knee while maneuvering around an opponent on the field. Following an awkward landing or a sudden change in direction, the popping sensation is often followed by severe pain with weight bearing, loss of range of motion and swelling of the knee. The injury may indicate an ACL tear, which can certainly sideline you from returning to your sport for months, sometimes even years. However, surgery is not always necessary depending on the severity of the injury you sustained. Whether or not surgery is…

Loudoun County, Va. — I used to call the Sunshine State home. I lived there for two years when I took a TV news reporting job in southwest Florida. One of the less glamorous parts of reporting that many don’t know about is when you have to ‘door knock’ for a story. You get an address for some stranger, walk up to their front door, knock and see if they want to go on camera to talk about whatever that story may be. Needless to say, unless that door-knock goes something like this, ‘Hi, I’m Sarah and I work for the news. Would…

Loudoun County, Va. — It’s extremely hot outside, you’ve been exercising for an hour-and-a-half, your muscles are weak, your shirt is drenched, you’ve recently noticed a minor headache and you’re beyond thirsty. Do you reach for your water bottle filled with water or do you grab a bottle of one of those flavorful sports drinks? The water versus sports drinks debate has been a topic of discussion for many years. There are a multitude of opinions because there are different circumstances in which one choice trumps the other. For instance, if you exercised for less than 60 minutes at a low-intensity…

Loudoun County, Va. — Have you ever met someone who complains of knee pain? What about someone who feels like their knee is going to give out when they walking, pivot, or use the stairs? Is that someone you? Many people suffer knee pain and feelings of instability, but they just decide to live with it for whatever reason. Maybe you think it will go away? Maybe you don’t want to get more bad news, so you put it off? Maybe you just feel like the time and effort it will take to get better isn’t worth it? Whatever the…