A Team-Based Approach to Getting Young Athletes Back in the Game
Young athletes who experience chest pain, fatigue and shortness of breath during exercise might not perform as well as they would like. They may even need to stop competing.
These problems can result from issues with the heart, lungs or both. Many athletes with these symptoms benefit from an evaluation from both a cardiologist and a pulmonologist.
Cincinnati Children’s Cardiorespiratory Sports Clinic is a first-of-its-kind, team-based clinic that brings together physicians from both Cardiology and Pulmonary Medicine, alongside other specialties, to treat your child with a comprehensive approach. Our team includes experts in:
- Cardiology, including electrophysiology, cardiomyopathy, cardiac imaging and cardiac genetics
- Pulmonology, including spirometry, plethysmography and bronchoscopy
- Ear, nose and throat (ENT), including resting and exercise direct upper airway visualization
- Sports medicine
- Exercise physiology
- Nutrition
- Physical therapy
- Psychology
- Speech therapy
We address heart-lung issues in middle school, high school and college athletes to keep them healthy and allow them to return to play as quickly and safely as possible.
If patients are experiencing symptoms like chest pain, fatigue and shortness of breath with exercise, their physician can refer them to our clinic. Athletes can also schedule appointments without a referral, including to get a second opinion on their condition.
We work with each patient to:
- Identify the causes of chest pain, fatigue and shortness of breath with exercise
- Diagnose and treat conditions for athletes who fail their pre-participation physical exams
- Develop a treatment plan that allows for a quicker, more effective, safe return to play, including patients with chronic conditions
- Evaluate and provide a treatment plan for symptoms that limit their performance
Our team knows that everyone's goal with sports and exercise is different. We help athletes understand their diagnosis and develop specific return-to-sport plans. We also work with patients who have underlying medical conditions, including pectus excavatum, congenital heart disease and cancer who want help with a safe return to their activities.
Why Choose the Cardiorespiratory Sports Clinic
- Athletes from across the region travel to our clinic for our team-based approach to help them get back to their activities safely. This holistic approach brings together specialists from across disciplines to diagnose and treat patients. Our approach emphasizes both the physical and mental fitness of young athletes.
- Our multidisciplinary team includes specialists like otolaryngologists and speech therapists. Together, our team can evaluate athletes for conditions like exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction, as well as heart conditions like structural heart disease and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Once diagnosed, we create a personalized plan to get patients back to their sports.
- For athletes with chronic disease, we develop plans to help them return to exercise and activity in the healthiest, safest way possible.
