A concussion is a brain injury caused by acceleration or deceleration of the brain within the skull following a significant impact to the head or elsewhere on the body. The impact causes a biochemical imbalance within the brain cells, resulting in decreased blood flow and temporary energy deficits within the brain. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness, headache, pressure in the head, neck pain, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, or balance problems, among others.
During this acute phase, individuals are susceptible to further damage and rapid deterioration of brain cells if another impact were to occur. It is important that if a suspected concussion were to occur a player should be removed from play immediately and assessed by a trained h professional.
The current approach used today is” Recognize; Remove; Rest; Rehab.” Studies have shown that individuals who were assessed by a health care professional within the first 24-48 hours had a faster return to play and less symptom intensity. Common symptoms of an acute concussion are headache, “feeling out of it”, sensitivity to light, memory loss, dizziness, neck pain, and sleep disturbances.
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Red flags refers to symptoms that indicate a more sinister pathology such as a brain bleed leading to uncontrolled swelling. If any of these symptoms are present immediate evaluation is necessary. Symptoms include:
- Slurred speech
- Nausea, increase vomiting
- One pupil is larger than the other
- Loss of consciousness
- Increased dizziness, loss of coordination
- Can not be wakened, increased drowsiness
- Increased confusion and agitation
- Can not recognize places or people
Multimodal pre-season testing is a series of physical and cognitive tests that provides a pre-injury overview of healthy brain function. These tests can offer healthcare practitioners with an objective benchmark on which to compare should a patient sustain a concussion. It’s important to remember that not all baseline testing is created equal. CCMI has selected the best evidence-based tools available to provide you with comprehensive, multimodal, proven baseline-testing. As concussion symptoms often disappear days to weeks before the brain has recovered, having valuable baseline information may help practitioners to make safer return to play decisions. Contact us to learn more about baseline testing to see if it’s right for you.
In conjunction with CCMI, we offer concussion treatment services & strategies including: joint manipulation, dry needling, DNS rehabilitation.
- Exertional testing for return-to-sport readiness and sub-symptom threshold exercise programs for persistent symptoms
- Vestibular, oculomotor, and cervical spine rehabilitation
- Balance, reaction time, visual processing, and neurocognitive testing (pre-season baseline and/or post-injury/return to sport testing)
Educational resources
During the early stage following injury, a period of relative symptom limited physical and cognitive rest is recommended. Research suggests 24 to 48 hours, however, these decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. Following a short period of rest, the International Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport (2016) recommends a gradual increase in mental and physical activity by a licensed healthcare practitioner trained in concussion management.
The CCMI Concussion Tracker smartphone app supports safer return-to-sport decisions for young athletes. The app captures and shares an athletes’ concussion status in real time.
Where a concussion hits, Concussion Tracker enables an athlete’s stakeholders to:
- Report and track concussion
- Conduct sideline assessments
- Ensure seamless communication
- Record athlete’s recovery status and timeline
- Scan and share medical documents
- Track daily symptoms for recovery progress
- Store and view pre-season concussion test results
Download the Concussion Tracker app for free today on the App Store and Google Play!
When a concussion hits, the more knowledge the better. CCMI’s free educational resources will help to increase your concussion management awareness. Download yours for free today at https://completeconcussions.com/resources/educational-resources/
Downloads available include:
- Concussion Handbook
- Concussion Code of Conduct
- Implementation Guide
- Educational infographics
- Concussion FAQs
Take the first step when you schedule an appointment.
