Preparing for events for physically challenged athletes

Abstract

The participation in sports for physically challenged athletes continues to expand in multiple domains from recreational, novice, and competitive to elite competitions such as the Paralympics. Physically challenged athletes have various disabilities such as visual impairments, spinal cord injuries, amputations, cerebral palsy, or other neuromuscular impairments and have different levels of functional ability within these broad categories. The spectrum of medical illnesses and musculoskeletal injuries seen with sports is similar to that of able-bodied athletes; however medical teams caring for athletes with disabilities need to be familiar with medical risks such as skin breakdown, thermoregulation problems, dehydration, autonomic dysreflexia, infections, orthotic and prosthetic issues, and psychiatric comorbidities that may be encountered. The medical team preparation for events involving physically challenged athletes should include obtaining appropriate medical supplies, ensuring disability-compatible access to medical areas, and preparing for emergency extraction from adaptive equipment. Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Sports Medicine.