Concussion Management

Our concussion program provides an advanced approach to concussion awareness and management, guiding injured individuals towards a safe return to both sport and daily life activities. It has been well established that concussions have quickly become a nationwide concern, from the under reporting in youth sports to the lack of timely and proper management of these brain injuries. To this day the old adage of rest is still recommended. Although rest is important, the leading evidence based approach to care is “controlled rest” with a concurrent rehabilitation program in place. Our program emphasizes a continuum of care from education, to injury management and finally a multi-layer return to full activity or sport.

What is a Concussion?

A concussion is a type of brain injury caused by a blow, bump, or ‘jolt’ to the head that temporarily changes the way your brain works – causing you to experience certain symptoms like headaches and dizziness. A concussion may also occur from a blow to the body such as a motor vehicle accident, that causes your head to jolt back-and-forth or side-to-side. A concussion may or may not involve a loss of consciousness. In fact, very few concussions actually do result in a loss of consciousness.

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Concussions can produce a wide array of symptoms, including secondary neck related signs, which poses a challenge for coaches, trainers, parents, and health professionals involved in the care of the injured individual. The time-course for recovery also varies widely from person to person, making it impossible to employ a “cookie-cutter” approach to concussion rehabilitation and return-to-participation timelines.

Currently, there is no “gold standard” for the detection of a concussive injury. Diagnosis is typically based on the presence of any combination of symptoms known to commonly result from a concussion. Traditional return to activity decisions have become reliant on the “wait until symptoms resolve” paradigm. Recent advancements in concussion management have resulted in the widespread use of computer-based neuro-cognitive testing protocols. Evidence now shows that concussed athletes demonstrate subtle cognitive deficits that persist beyond symptom resolution, emphasizing that return to activity when “symptom-free” is not an accurate measure of readiness. This is why Shift with it’s affiliation with the University of Pittsburg Medical Center (UPMC) and the Stop Concussions Foundation, have developed a multi-faceted approach to the management of concussions.

Signs and Symptoms May Consist of the Following:

  • Headache

  • Pressure in Head

  • Neck Pain

  • Nausea or Vomiting

  • Dizziness

  • Blurred Vision

  • Balance Problems

  • Sensitivity to Noise

  • Feeling Slowed Down

  • Feeling like ‘Being in a Fog”

  • Melaise (“Don’t Feel Right”)

  • Difficulty Concetrating

  • Difficulty Remembering

  • Fatigue or Low Energy

  • Confusion

  • Drowsiness

  • Trouble Falling Asleep

  • More Emotional

  • Irritability

  • Sadness

  • Nervous or Anxious