Best Practices for Identification and Treatment of VCD in Athletes

Friday, 9:00am to 11:00am
Parasol II
Session 6
Vocal Cord Dysfunction, (VCD), has been recognized as a condition that is commonly confused with exercised induced asthma in athletes. VCD occurs when the vocal folds adduct during inhalation, resulting in airway obstruction and difficulty breathing. Because VCD is a more recent diagnosis among athletes, it is important to promote awareness of and treatment techniques that are helpful in managing this condition. Speech-language pathologists play a vital role in promoting behavioral strategies to help these athletes. This includes activities directed toward athlete's parents, coaches and athletic training personnel to better recognize, prevent and control symptoms of VCD. This presentation will outline the pathophysiology of VCD in young athletes and the best practice approaches for its identification, assessment, and treatment of this frequently misdiagnosed disorder. Additionally, the importance of reaching out to athletic trainers who are on the front lines of the identification and ongoing support of young athletes will be discussed along with the SLPs role in educating the larger community related to this frequently misunderstood disorder.
Track: 
Multi-Interest