Milwaukee VA takes lead in assessment of concussions among wheelchair athletes

“Concussion Management for Wheelchair Athletes” is aimed at development of an educational program on concussion management for wheelchair athletes.

“This is the first concussion book for wheelchair athletes,” said Dr. Ken Lee, head of the Spinal Cord Injury Center at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. “Since there was nothing out there, people are not as aware, so we wanted to share that awareness.”

Lee, who is also an associate professor with the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Medical College of Wisconsin, has long been a proponent of wheelchair sports, which can include some rough-and-tumble activities, such as rugby, lacrosse and basketball.

“We realized we were missing concussions with these athletes,” he said. “As we looked into it more, we started doing research and realized we needed to do bigger awareness.”

The book is for anyone involved in wheelchair athletics, from participants to coaches, families and sideline supporters.

“We want it to be a resource for coaches and others in the community so they have a better understanding of concussions,” said Dr. Michael Harper one of four editors on the book, along with Lee, Dr. Michael Uihlein and Dr. Michael McCrea. “It’s designed to be used by anyone involved in wheelchair sports.”

The book is available through Springer Publishing.

To learn more, see the story on the Milwaukee VA Medical Center website.

 

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FOR MEDIA:  Dr. Ken Lee is available for interviews and can help connect with wheelchair athletes. Contact Public Affairs Officer Ann Knabe at 414-345-0842 (cell) or email ann.knabe@va.gov.

Ann Knabe, Public Affairs Officer

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