Sports Medicine

Crawford County Sports Medicine (CCSM) Program

Crawford County Sports Medicine (CCSM) at Meadville Medical Center was developed to provide our local school districts with a complete sports medicine system including the education, prevention, management, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries, accidents, and overuse conditions among the physically active student athletes within our community. Program development began in the spring of 1997 after several serious injuries occurred within our local high schools. Crawford County Sports Medicine at Meadville Medical Center began providing services to our local school districts in the fall of 1998.

Under the direction of Medical Director Vincent J. Paczkoskie, Jr. M.D., board certified in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine with fellowship training in Sports Medicine and Upper Extremity, Anne White, OTR/L, MS, Vice President of Rehabilitation and Outpatient Services, Michael D. Carr, PT, LAT, ATC, Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist, and Bryanna O’Brien, MS, LAT, ATC, Athletic Trainer, Crawford County Sports Medicine has developed into a collaborative program involving Meadville Medical Center and the Conneaut, Crawford Central, PENNCREST, Cranberry, Valley Grove, Jamestown, and Commodore Perry School Districts. CCSM was developed by sports minded healthcare professionals to provide proper care, recovery, and rehabilitation for injured student athletes within our school systems.

Crawford County Sports Medicine utilizes various medical professionals including Athletic Trainers, Physical and Occupational Therapists, Orthopedists, Primary Care Physicians, other Physician specialties, and Neuropsychologists along with sports first aiders, coaches, athletic directors, and principals as the foundation of our Sports Medicine team to accomplish the program goals.

CCSM Goals

Prevent and/or reduce the incidences of injuries and emergencies resulting from sport activities
Educate coaches, athletic staffs, and student athletes about sports injury management and emergency care
Provide a service which allows for the proper recognition, management, treatment, and rehabilitation of injured student athletes by sports minded healthcare professionals
Provide a complete Sports Medicine system including: education, prevention, management, treatment, and rehabilitation

CCSM Services

Attendance and coverage at schools for athletic competitions, practices, and tournaments
Initial recognition and evaluation of injuries which can occur at our schools or during our biweekly injury clinics held at Meadville Medical Center Vernon Place during the school year on (no appointment necessary):
- Wednesday 3:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
- Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Injury rehabilitation, reconditioning, and return to play
Concussion management
Injury prevention education
Priority scheduling of appointments with physicians for further evaluation and testing
Phone consultations
Physical and Occupational therapy referrals

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do after suffering an injury?
- The best principle to follow is PRICE:
  - Protection: Protect the area from further injury
  - Rest: Avoid irritating the area until pain is diminished
  - Ice: Ice the injured area 20 minutes every hour for 48-72 hours after injury
  - Compression: Wrap the injury with an ace bandage or other wrap to prevent increased swelling
  - Elevate: Raise the injured area above the heart to reduce blood flow and swelling.
When can I put heat on an injury?
Heat can be applied 48 - 72 hours after an injury occurs or when active swelling has stopped (may be more than 72 hours)
When should I return to activity?
Return to activity should occur when pain in the injured area is gone, motion is normal and strength has returned. Time frames for return to play can vary greatly depending on the injury. Proper treatment and rehabilitation can facilitate healing, prevent future reinjury, and decrease time spent out of activity.

What is the best way to prevent injury?
The best way to prevent injury is to be in appropriate shape and condition for the activity being performed and to properly warm up and stretch prior to activity participation and to cool down afterwards:
- Warm up: 5 - 10 minutes of light jogging, bicycling, or calisthenics
- Stretching: Stretch the muscles to be used 2 to 3 times each holding 15-20 seconds — don't bounce or perform a dynamic stretching routine
- Cool down: After activity do 5 – 10 minutes of light jogging or walking followed by light stretching. The cool down followed by stretching helps decrease muscle soreness later.

Helpful resources

Contact Meadville Medical Center

For additional information, call us at (814) 333-5214 or send us a fax at (814) 333-1482. We are located at:

One Vernon Place
11277 Vernon Place
Meadville, PA 16335