Physician Group

Inova Medical Group - Sports Medicine

• 8100 Innovation Park Drive
  Suite 110
  Fairfax, VA 22031 [Get Directions]
  703-970-6464

Biography

Dr. Melissa Womble is a fellowship-trained neuropsychologist with specialization in sport concussion management. She serves as director of the Inova Sports Medicine Comprehensive Concussion Program.

Dr. Womble joined Inova Medical Group after completing a neuropsychology post-doctoral fellowship within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Sports Medicine Concussion Program. Her goal is to provide patients of all ages and abilities with top-notch care following concussion and additionally for sports performance enhancement needs.

An accomplished high school track athlete, Dr. Womble took her passion for competitive sports to the University of South Alabama (USA) where she competed as an NCAA Division I cross country and track athlete while earning her Bachelor’s degree in psychology. She received a Master’s degree in applied psychology and a Doctoral degree in combined-integrated clinical and counseling psychology, both at USA. During her doctoral studies, Dr. Womble provided sports enhancement therapy for collegiate athletes and also developed a concussion management program for collegiate and high school athletes. She completed a pre-doctoral internship at Henry Ford Medical Center in Detroit, MI, where she continued in traumatic brain injuries and neuropsychology training before moving on to her fellowship in Pittsburgh. Dr. Womble has presented at national conferences and published in numerous peer-reviewed journals.

A native of Northern Virginia, she resides there with her husband, son and their two dogs. In her spare time she enjoys running, hiking, traveling and cooking.

Awards/Associations/Appointments

• Independent Neuropsychologist, Washington Redskins
• Associate Member, Sports Neuropsychological Society
• Professional Member, National Academy of Neuropsychology
• National Academy of Neuropsychology Outstanding Dissertation Award Recipient
• University of South Alabama’s Most Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award Recipient

Video features

• Fairfax County Athletic Community Mental Health Symposium. February 2019.
• USA9 Great Morning Washington Video: Concussion Safety for Students and Athletes
• USA9 Great Morning Washington: Takeaway Tips to Keep your Child Safe from Concussion

Expert Commentary / Podcasts

• SportsTalk570
  Inova's "Ask the Doctor" airs Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. on SportsTalk570 as part of the Redskins Health & Wellness Program.

• Ask the Doctor: Understanding Concussions and the Importance of Pre-Season Concussion Screening in Athletes ​(air date 5/6/17)
  In this episode of Inova’s “Ask the Doctor,” Neuropsychologist and Director of the Inova Sports Medicine Concussion Program, Dr. Melissa Womble along with Inova Athletic Trainers, Eric Castor and Brett Gustman help to educate listeners on the signs and symptoms of a concussion, as well as the importance of having athletes complete baseline testing before their sports season begins.

• Ask the Doctor: Vestibular Therapy for Concussion Patients (air date 4/14/17)
  In this episode of Inova’s “Ask the Doctor,” Neuropsychologist and Director of the Inova Sports Medicine Concussion Program, Dr. Melissa Womble and Dr. Sheri Fedor, Physical Therapist, Director of the Inova Vestibular Concussion Program explain why vestibular therapy is a part of a multidisciplinary team approach used when treating concussion patients.
• Ask the Doctor: Concussion
  The following 3-part podcast series features Dr. Jessica Wertz and Dr. Melissa Womble discussing how a concussion occurs, the evaluation, treatment and key components to recovery.
  • Concussion – Part 1 (air date 11/12/16)
  • Concussion – Part 2 (air date 11/19/16)
  • Concussion – Part 3 (air date 11/26/16)

• ESPN Answering The Bell – Concussions Part 2 (air date 10/25/16)
  Dr. Melissa Womble and Stephania Bell discuss neurocognitive testing and the five phases of the NFL concussion protocol

Featured articles and blogposts

• Mind Games: Concussions, CTE and Sports. August 3, 2017.
• Acute Management of Concussion: The Role of Regulation versus Rest. Summer 2016.
• Winning mindset: Sports psych & the athlete. September 26, 2016.
• Concussions in American Football. American Journal of Orthopedics. September 2016.
• Test-Retest Reliability of Computerized Neurocognitive Testing in Youth Ice Hockey Players. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology. April 15, 2016.
• Neuropsychological Assessment Following Concussion: an Evidence-Based Review of the Role of the Neuropsychological Assessment Pre- and Post- Concussion. Current Pain and Headache Reports. June 2016.
• Intraoperative MRI for deep brain stimulation lead placement in Parkinson's disease: 1 year motor and neuropsychological outcomes. Journal of Neurology Publication. June 2016.
• Logistic regression function for detection of suspicious performance during baseline evaluations using concussion vital signs. Applied Neuropsychology. 2015.

Other articles and presentations

• Womble, M. N. Concussion Case Series: The emerging role of anxiety. Presented at the Inova Sports Medicine CME Lecture Series, Fairfax, Virginia. February 2019.
• Womble, M. N. & Fedor, S. A. Pediatric Concussion: Updates on treatment. Presented at the Inova Alexandria Hospital Pediatric Grand Rounds, Alexandria, Virginia. February 2019.
• Gustman, B.P., Castor, E.D., Stephenson-Brown, K., Womble, M.N., Elbin, R.J. Relationship between trait and state anxiety in patients with sport and/or recreation-related concussions. Poster presented at Big Sky Athletic Training Conference. Big Sky, MT. February 2019.
• Articles and presentations, 2009 through present

24-hour Concussion Hotline

703-970-6427