Cheri A Blauwet

• MD
• Medical Doctor at Harvard Medical School

Background Limited guidance exists for conducting research on health disparities within the field of sport and exercise medicine (SEM). This review aimed to identify and summarise existing best practices for conducting equitable, diverse and inclusive research within SEM. Methods A narrative review with evidence synthesis was conducted using elect...

Introduction The Amsterdam 2022 International Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport (6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport) was the first Concussion in Sport Group (CISG) consensus to consider the para athlete.1 To date, a lack of research in para sport on most aspects of concussion has prevented the development of evidence-infor...

Para athletes present a broad range of sports-related injuries and illnesses, frequently encountering barriers when accessing healthcare services. The periodic health evaluation (PHE) is a valuable tool for continuously monitoring athletes’ health, screening for health conditions, assisting in the surveillance of health problems by establishing bas...

Mass participation events include endurance events ( e.g. , marathon, triathlon) and/or competitive tournaments ( e.g. , baseball, tennis, football (soccer) tournaments). Event management requires medical administrative and participant care planning. Medical management provides safety advice and care at the event that accounts for large numbers of...

Objective To describe the epidemiology of injuries and illnesses sustained during the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, organised in a closed-loop environment to adhere with COVID-19 restrictions. Methods Injuries and illnesses from all teams were recorded on a daily basis by team medical staff on a web-based form and by local organising commi...

Exercise provides a well-recognized foundation for health maintenance and chronic disease prevention for all individuals, and those with disabilities can equally benefit. Despite this knowledge, unfortunately, many health and physical activity disparities exist between individuals with disabilities and the general population. Despite the higher pre...

This study examines the challenges and accommodations for medical residents with disabilities within physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) training programs. Medical residency presents unique stressors and responsibilities, with the potential for added complexities for residents with disabilities. Few data exist regarding the prevalence and e...

Objectives To examine healthcare professionals (HCPs) attitudes, beliefs and preparedness towards the management of Para athlete mental health during the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games. Methods A cross-sectional observational study was conducted. National Paralympic Committee’s HCPs (n=857) working at the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 202...

Para sport includes any sport in which an athlete with a disability can participate. While of enormous value, para athletes introduce unique challenges regarding managing health and injury on the sidelines and during training. Many pearls gained from caring for able body athletes directly cross over to the disabled athlete; nonetheless, the astute...

Objective Health disparities are widely prevalent; however, little has been done to examine and address their causes and effects in sports and exercise medicine (SEM). We aimed to summarise the focus areas and methodology used for existing North American health disparity research in SEM and to identify gaps in the evidence base. Design Scoping rev...

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are continuing to have increased importance in medical training, including rehabilitation medicine. Although resident-led curricula have been integrated into medical education in other training programs, to our knowledge, this the first report focusing on integrating these topics into resident educ...

Mass participation events include endurance events (e.g., marathon, triathlon) and/or competitive tournaments (e.g., baseball, tennis, football (soccer) tournaments). Event management requires medical administrative and participant care planning. Medical management provides safety advice and care at the event that accounts for large numbers of part...

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dementia, depression and cancers, are on the rise worldwide and are often associated with a lack of physical activity (PA). Globally, the levels of PA among individuals are below WHO recommendations. A lack of PA can increase morbidity and mor...

In 2019, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) published a consensus statement outlining the principles for recording and reporting injury and illness in elite sport. The authors encouraged sport federations to adapt the framework to their sport-specific context. Since this publication, several sports have published extensions to the IOC consen...

For over two decades, the Concussion in Sport Group has held meetings and developed five international statements on concussion in sport. This 6th statement summarises the processes and outcomes of the 6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport held in Amsterdam on 27–30 October 2022 and should be read in conjunction with the (1) methodolo...

The purpose of this paper is to summarise the consensus methodology that was used to inform the International Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport (Amsterdam 2022). Building on a Delphi process to inform the questions and outcomes from the 5th International Conference on Concussion in Sport, the Scientific Committee identified key questions,...

Objective To explore the prevalence of symptoms of mental health conditions and burnout of healthcare professionals (HCPs) working during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. Methods In this cross-sectional, observational study, HCPs working during the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games were asked...

Objective To describe the incidence and burden of illness at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, which was organised with strict COVID-19 countermeasures. Methods Daily illnesses were recorded via the web-based injury and illness surveillance system (teams with their own medical staff; n=81), and local polyclinic services (teams without their own med...

Objective To describe the epidemiology of injuries at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, including injuries sustained in the new sports of badminton and taekwondo. Methods Injury data were obtained daily via the established web-based injury and illness surveillance system (WEB-IISS; 81 countries, 3836 athletes) and local organising committee medical...

Environmental scans determine trends in an organization's or field's internal and external environment. The results can help shape goals, inform strategic decision making, and direct future actions. The Association of Academic Physiatrists convened a strategic planning group in 2020, composed of physiatrists representing a diversity of professional...

Purpose: To determine the relationship between shoulder pain, physical examination, and tissue pathology in manual wheelchair users competing in elite sport. Methods: Eighty elite para athletes who used a manual wheelchair for daily mobility were recruited from international track (n = 40), field (n = 19) and powerlifting (n = 21) competitions....

There are currently no clear, evidence-based guidelines on return to play (RTP) following sports-related concussion (SRC) for athletes with impairment participating in wheelchair sports or adaptive sports. The current RTP progression from the 2017 Concussion in Sport Group (CISG) follows a graduated stepwise rehabilitation strategy that can serve a...

Background Although athletes who are wheelchair users for both daily activity and sport participation are at high risk for shoulder injuries, little is known regarding the characteristics of shoulder injury in this population. Objective To determine the relationship between shoulder symptoms (SS), physical exam findings (PEF), and structural patho...

Objectives: To adapt key components of exertional heat stroke (EHS) prehospital management proposed by the Intenational Olympic Committee Adverse Weather Impact Expert Working Group for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 so that it is applicable for the Paralympic athletes. Methods: An expert working group representing members with research, clinical...

Physical medicine and rehabilitation requires teamwork and innovation to help patients reach their goals and to optimize their quality of life, and one way is through participation in sports ( Sports Med Arthrosc Rev . 2019;27:73–82; PM R . 2015;7(10):1081–8; PM R . 2012;4(11):851–6; Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am . 2019;30(1):289–99). Unfortunately, p...

Hip soft tissue injuries can cause significant functional morbidity. Given the complex anatomy of the hip and lumbopelvic region, these entities may be difficult to differentiate and diagnose due to commonly overlapping pain patterns. This chapter describes the most common hip-related soft tissue disorders, categorizing each diagnosis as those that...

In 2020, the IOC released a consensus statement that provides overall guidelines for the recording and reporting of epidemiological data on injury and illness in sport. Some aspects of this statement need to be further specified on a sport-by-sport basis. To extend the IOC consensus statement on methods for recording and reporting of epidemiologica...

The objective of this scoping review was to map the evidence on measurement properties of body composition tools to assess whole-body and regional fat and fat-free mass in adults with SCI, and to identify research gaps in order to set future research priorities. Electronic databases of PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane library were searched up to Apr...

In 2020, the IOC proposed a universal methodology for the recording and reporting of data for injury and illness in sport. Para sport is played by individuals with impairment, and they have a unique set of considerations not captured by these recommendations. Therefore, the aim of this addendum to IOC consensus statement was to guide the Para sport...

Concussion is a frequent injury in many sports and is also common in para athletes. However, there is a paucity of concussion research related to para sport, and prior International Concussion in Sport (CIS) consensus papers have not substantively addressed this population. To remedy this and to improve concussion care provided to para athletes, th...

Objective: Medication use among elite athletes has received growing attention over the past decades. However, only limited studies have focused on para athletes and trends in medication use among this cohort, remain unclear. The aims of this study were 1) to describe the pattern of medication use in elite Paralympic athletes, with a particular foc...

Objective: To describe the occurrence of imaging-depicted sports-related injuries (bone, muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries) during the Rio 2016 Summer Paralympic Games. Methods: Descriptive data on all imaging examinations by using radiography, ultrasonography (US), and MRI were collected and retrospectively analyzed centrally by five muscul...

Primary care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants) make decisions on a daily basis regarding treatment for musculoskeletal problems, including referrals to orthopedic surgeons and other specialists. Despite the large number of patients presenting with musculoskeletal complaints, primary care providers often feel poorly e...

Objectives To develop an assessment and recognition tool to identify elite athletes at risk for mental health symptoms and disorders. Methods We conducted narrative and systematic reviews about mental health symptoms and disorders in active and former elite athletes. The views of active and former elite athletes (N=360) on mental health symptoms in...

In recent years, adaptive sports have become a mainstay of the rehabilitation process given their potential to enhance physical and mental health outcomes in people with disabilities. The rapid onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic created numerous challenges to the management of traditional, in‐person adaptive sports programs. This article provides a ste...

Objectives To develop an assessment tool for the early identification of elite athletes potentially at risk for experiencing mental health symptoms and disorders Stepwise approach Firstly, narrative and systematic reviews of the scientific literature about mental health symptoms and disorders in active and former elite athletes were conducted. Seco...

Introduction The global pandemic due to SARS‐CoV‐2 has resulted in an expansion of telemedicine. Measures of quality and barriers for rapid use by patients and physicians are not well described. Objective To describe results from a quality improvement initiative during rapid adoptive phase of telemedicine during the pandemic. Design Patient and p...

Elite athletes suffer many mental health symptoms and disorders at rates equivalent to or exceeding those of the general population. COVID-19 has created new strains on elite athletes, thus potentially increasing their vulnerability to mental health symptoms. This manuscript serves as a narrative review of the impact of the pandemic on management o...

Background: Ensuring the strength of the physician workforce is essential to optimizing patient care. Challenges that undermine the profession include inequities in advancement, high levels of burnout, reduced career duration, and elevated risk for mental health problems, including suicide. This narrative review explores whether physicians within f...

To describe injury epidemiology in Para powerlifters during the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. This cohort study was a sub‐analysis of the web‐based injury and illness surveillance system survey (WEB‐IISS) carried out by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Medical Committee. The WEB‐IISS survey was completed daily by the Chief Medical Officers...

Bone stress injury (BSI) is a common overuse injury in athletes. Risk factors for BSI in athletes include the Female Athlete Triad (Triad); this has not been evaluated in para athletes. The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors, prevalence and anatomical distribution of BSI in para athletes. A cross-sectional online survey on health cha...

Introduction Studies have revealed a higher incidence of injury and illness among elite adaptive athletes when compared to able‐bodied athletes in competition. However, individuals with disabilities report poorer access to healthcare. Objective The purpose of this study is to identify differences in healthcare access, satisfaction and unmet needs...

Adaptive sports athletes represent a growing population within the athletic community worldwide. Given potential cardiometabolic and psychosocial benefits of adaptive sports participation, the impact on bone health and injury risk in adaptive athletes is of increasing clinical interest. Impaired bone health as a result of low energy availability ha...

Purpose of Review This review aims to provide an overview of sports medicine principles pertaining to youth Para athletes. Recent Findings While little research on youth Para athletics exists, recent elite Paralympic Games data confirms a higher rate of upper extremity injuries in wheelchair athletes and lower extremity injuries in ambulatory athl...

Objective To describe the epidemiology of sports injury at the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. Methods 567 athletes from 49 countries were monitored daily for 12 days over the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games (6804 athlete days). Injury data were obtained daily from teams with their own medical support (41 teams and 557 athletes)...

Introduction The Female Athlete Triad (Triad) is a syndrome describing three interrelated conditions: low energy availability (LEA), menstrual dysfunction, and low bone mineral density (BMD). Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED‐S) expands the Triad to include multiple physiologic consequences of LEA in both sexes. The purpose of this study is...

Objective To describe the incidence rate (IR) and illness burden (IB) at the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. Methods A total of 567 athletes from 49 countries were monitored for 12 days over the Pyeongchang 2018 Games (6804 athlete days). Illness data were obtained daily from teams with (41 teams, 557 athletes) and teams without (8 teams...

Although people with disabilities make up a large proportion of our global population and are known to be disproportionately impacted by sedentary lifestyles leading to chronic disease, programs promoting physical activity often fail to address their unique needs. Both environmental and attitudinal factors also act as barriers to full participation...

Objective: To investigate representation by gender among recipients of physician recognition awards presented by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). Methods: We analyzed lists of individual recipients over the 63-year history of the AAN recognition awards. Included were awards intended primarily for physician recipients that recognized a bo...

Orthopaedic surgeons frequently use aspirations and injections to both diagnose and treat disorders of the lower extremity. Comprehensive knowledge of regional anatomy, procedural indications, and appropriate techniques are essential. Clinicians must be well versed in a range of musculoskeletal aspiration and injection techniques, including patient...

Objective: To review the literature related to different treatment strategies for the general population of individuals with amputation, spinal cord injury, and cerebral palsy, as well as how this may impact pain management in a correlated athlete population. Data sources: A comprehensive literature search was performed linking pain with terms r...

Over the past half-century, the evolution of Paralympic sport has exponentially increased opportunities for elite sports competition for athletes with disabilities while revolutionising conceptual frameworks about sport and disability. Despite the rapid growth of the Paralympic Movement, women and athletes with high support needs (AHSN) have remain...

Exercise provides a well-recognized foundation for health maintenance and chronic disease prevention for all individuals, and those with disabilities can equally benefit. Still, many health and physical activity disparities exist between individuals with disabilities and the general population. Despite the higher prevalence of chronic, noncommunica...

Hip soft tissue injuries can cause significant functional morbidity. Given the complex anatomy of the hip and lumbopelvic region, these entities may be difficult to differentiate and diagnose due to commonly overlapping pain patterns. This chapter describes the most common hip-related soft tissue disorders, categorizing each diagnosis as those that...

Primary care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants) make decisions on a daily basis regarding treatments for musculoskeletal problems, including referrals to physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons and other specialists. Despite the large number of patients presenting with musculoskeletal complaints, primary care provide...

Background: Few U.S. studies have explored how children experience a parent's mobility disability and its effects on their daily lives. Objective: We aimed to engage youth ages 13-17 who had at least one parent with mobility disability in describing their perceptions of their parent's disability and its consequences for their daily and family li...

Shoulder pain in wheelchair users that participate in competitive adaptive sports can be a troublesome condition. Shoulder pain not only affects athletic performance, but also functional activities such as wheelchair propulsion and weight bearing during transfers. Managing pain in these athletes thus presents a unique challenge due to the difficult...

Objective To describe the epidemiology of illness at the Rio 2016 Summer Paralympic Games. Methods A total of 3657 athletes from 78 countries, representing 83.5% of all athletes at the Games, were monitored on the web-based injury and illness surveillance system (WEB-IISS) over 51 198 athlete days during the Rio 2016 Summer Paralympic Games. Illne...

Objectives To describe the incidence of injury in the precompetition and competition periods of the Rio 2016 Summer Paralympic Games. Methods A total of 3657 athletes from 78 countries, representing 83.4% of all athletes at the Games, were monitored on the web-based injury and illness surveillance system over 51 198 athlete days during the Rio 201...

Background: While participation in adaptive sports offers numerous benefits for persons with disabilities, a substantial number of eligible persons do not take part. Previous studies have identified personal and environmental factors that promote or inhibit adaptive sports participation. However, these studies have considered a relatively narrow r...

Low energy availability, functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, and low bone mineral density are three interrelated conditions described in athletic women. Although described as the female athlete triad (Triad), males experience similar health concerns. The literature suggests that individuals with a disability may experience altered physiology relate...