The start of a new high school football season is just over a month away, which means Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System’s Sports Medicine Institute’s Saturday sports medicine clinic will swing back into action for the 10th year. 

The clinic opens at 9 a.m. at the Star Center each Saturday throughout the high school football season, August through October. 

“This is a way to provide care the day after a football game,” said Dr. John Lucas. “We see a lot of bumps, bruises and potential head injuries, and the hard thing about a football game on a Friday night is that they’re up against the weekend. If not for the clinic, a lot of these athletes could be going through the emergency department or urgent care. So, we get them in, get a correct diagnosis and a treatment plan, and communicate that to the athletes, the parents, athletic trainers and coaches.” 

The institute’s concussion clinic ramps up as additional fall sports seasons get under way. 

“The focus of the concussion clinic is to get these athletes in and get them some recommendations,” Dr. Lucas said. “Our job is to get them back as soon and as safely as possible.” 

Dr. Lucas said about 80% of concussions are resolved within two to four weeks. Other issues such as eye tracking and lack of balance can take longer to resolve. 

Dr. Lucas breaks concussed athletes into two groups – functional and non-functional. Those in the functional group have symptoms, but they aren’t having a major impact on the athlete’s normal activities. Those in the non-functional group have symptoms that are disrupting their lives or making it difficult to attend school. 

“We want to see those in the non-functional group sooner to make sure we’re doing all the right things,” Dr. Lucas said. 

The clinic also treats college athletes. Mat Lyden, sports medicine institute manager, said that sometimes presents a challenge. 

“Our bandwidth of coverage crosses the NCAA, NAIA, South Carolina High School League and South Carolina Independent Schools Association,” Lyden said. “That means our highly trained staff must master the protocols of four different governing bodies to ensure the safest plan to help these athletes.” 

Broome High School football coach Lynn Fleming said the clinics are valuable assets for area teams and players. 

“If a player is injured, being able to see a doctor on Saturday puts them a step ahead,” Fleming said. “They can be treated right away and return to play or get started on a protocol that gets them ready to play. It’s great that they offer these services.” 

For more information on Sports Medicine Institute’s Saturday sports medicine clinic, visit Go.SRHS.com/SMI.