Concussion Care
I am dedicated to providing a high standard of care for all individuals who are at risk of sustaining a concussion. Managing a concussion thoroughly, in an individualized manner, and with evidence-based techniques is the best way to get our patients back to work, school, and daily activity safely.
Some symptoms that can be helped include:
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Dizziness
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Headaches
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Visual Changes
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Fatigue
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Sleep Irregularities
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Motion sensitivity
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Balance and walking changes
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Nausea
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Mood changes
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Memory changes/confusion
What to expect at your Assessment
I will conduct a thorough post-injury evaluation in order to gain a complete picture of your injury and how it’s impacted you. This includes a detailed interview in order to obtain information on:
- How the injury occurred
- How you felt immediately after
- How you’re feeling currently
- History of previous concussions
- Current and past medical conditions
- Previous trauma/injury
- Medications
The physical examination provides us with insight into the severity of your injury, as well as specific impairments that may need to be addressed as part of an ongoing management strategy. This portion of testing may include a combination of the following:
- Balance testing
- Strength and Coordination testing
- Screening of visual motor skills
- Vestibular (or equilibrium) testing
- Gait assessment
- Generalized neurological screen
- Orthopedic assessment of secondary injuries (e.g. neck, shoulders)
The duration of your assessment will be 60 minutes.
The above testing procedures may not all be completed on the first visit. The assessment methods used are tailored to the immediate needs of the individual and I use my discretion on a case-by-case basis.
Concussion Treatment
Following a concussion, the “sitting in a dark room” approach is only effective for so long. Concussions, like other injuries, should be properly managed and rehabilitated. While complete physical and cognitive rest is the mainstay of concussion care, having a health professional guide you through this step-by-step may prove to be invaluable.
Recovering from a concussion can be a difficult and frustrating time. I understand that each patient is affected differently and as such, requires individualized care. Management strategies are used to limit the amount of impairment as well as expedite recovery as much as possible. These strategies may include any one or a combination of the following and are case-dependent:
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Individualized resting strategies and home instruction
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Specific recommendations around employment/academic demands
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Manual therapy for associated complaints (neck pain, whiplash etc.)
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Visual motor rehabilitation
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Vestibular therapy
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Physical exertion testing and exercise plans for return-to-sport
It is recommended that athletes and active individuals undergo a step-wise process of physical exertion testing once symptom free. Similar to weight training, athletes recovering from a concussion should not skip to 100% exertion from 0% in a short time frame. Physical exertion testing is important not only for physical re-conditioning, but to guard against symptom relapse and help prevent premature return-to-sport. I can guide you through this process.
