UVA Health launches concussion clinic for youth athletes

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WDBJ) - UVA Health is launching a new concussion clinic for young athletes.

The clinic is designed for youth and teen athletes who have sustained concussions, and who are experiencing persistent symptoms.

Dr. Racheal Smetana is Clinical Neuropsychologist at UVA Health.

“Those are the athletes. Those are the youth athletes who would be referred to see me in the clinic,” Smetana told reporters during a briefing Friday afternoon. “And we would figure out why they are still having symptoms and work on a treatment plan to get them back to their sports.”

Concussion recovery typically requires a few days to a few weeks. The new clinic will see patients who continue to have symptoms such as dizziness, brain fog and issues with balance.

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