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Sports clinics offer student athletes an alternative to emergency room

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s been a little over a month since high school football season began, and Novant Health's Black and Blue Clinics have already seen several patients. The clinics are available for high school athletes to receive treatment for sport-related injuries, and staffed with primary care sports medicine physicians and athletic trainers.

Jackson Horner, a senior at Charlotte Christian High School and a member of the football team, recently visited the clinic for a dislocated shoulder. Horner suffered the injury in the final minute of a game against rival team Charlotte Catholic while attempting a tackle.

“I was just going for a tackle and I hit him with everything I had,” Horner said. “I mean the running back was like 6-foot-three, 230 pounds, whatever he is. With me at 180 pounds, it just popped out I guess.”

Horner’s parents took him to see Dr. Eric Warren at the Black and Blue Clinic. Warren said Horner’s story is like that of many athletes he treats -- players who push their limits during a “big game.”

“This past Friday night we had two of the leading Union County football teams playing each other,” Warren said. “I believe we had two ACL tears from that one game, plus a shoulder injury. And that’s a little unusual.”

There are two Black and Blue Clinics in the Charlotte area -- both opened on Aug. 18-19, and will continue to treat patients through the first round of football playoffs, which is the second week of November. Novant has been pushing athletic departments to use the clinics, which were opened specifically for football players in the Charlotte region.

The Waverly clinic is open on Friday nights, while the one in Cornelius is open on Saturday mornings. Patients don't need an appointment to visit either location. Combined, they’ve already seen fourteen players this season, including four players with concussions and others with knee injuries.

Horner has been to the clinic twice in his football career, and said he wants to continue playing the game. He’s suiting up Friday night, and plans to wear a brace on his shoulder.

“Especially with football being the last year -- you want to give it all you got,” Horner said. “Fight through all your injuries to play your last senior season.”

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