Athletes' Potential

  • Home
  • Physical Therapy
    • Atlanta ACL Physical Therapy
    • Atlanta Runners
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • About Us
  • CONTACT US
  • Home
  • Physical Therapy
    • Atlanta ACL Physical Therapy
    • Atlanta Runners
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • About Us
  • CONTACT US

Become the HERO of your own HEALTH

Inquire About Cost and Availability

Concussions, Part 2: What Should I Look For?

8/16/2018

0 Comments

 
                                                                                    cdc.com
 
Last week, we dove head first into concussions (sorry, I can’t help it), looking at what exactly defines a concussion and what sports populations are most at risk. If you missed it, check out Concussions, Part 1.

The interesting part about concussions is that you may not see some signs or symptoms present until minutes, hours, or even days later, which is why I want to equip you with the knowledge to know what to look for in part 2 of this Concussion series.

The easiest way to do this is to break it down into acute (sudden/very recent concussion) and chronic (prolonged period of time after concussion) phases.


Acute:

But first, a story about Billy Bob.

So say it’s 3rd and goal with 10 seconds left in the 4th quarter. Your high school team is losing 22-27. This game decides whether your team goes to the state championship. The ball snaps and Billy Bob, the running back, runs towards the goal. He is instantly met by the middle linebacker with a head-to-head collision. Now, it’s 4th down. Billy Bob lays there and struggles to get up. The team Athletic Trainer (AT) runs on the field and finds that he is able to now stand up, but definitely notices something is off. Billy Bob repeatedly assures the AT that he is okay and can play the final play.

What do you do as the AT? As the head coach? As the parent? – do you sit Billy Bob out? What about the game?

This seems like a no-brainer (again, sorry), but can be a very controversial call, especially when there’s a game on the line.

I always go by the rule: “When in doubt, sit it out.”

Now, you’re probably saying, “Ravi, quit being a softy and suck it up. There’s a game to win!” But as someone who has personally experienced a concussion, I would say the risk is not worth the reward. Let me explain why…

Introducing Second Impact Syndrome (SIS) – This happens when an initial concussion has occurred or not fully resolved and the individual receives another concussion, this time resulting in more severe complications including excessive swelling in the brain. That’s no bueno.

If I have you freaked out, don’t worry. This is a rare occurrence, but it can happen. As long as everyone is doing their job, there should be nothing to worry about.

And, statistically speaking, most concussions resolve within a matter of 7-10 days.

“Can imaging diagnose a concussion?” No. This is a HUGE misconception. Currently, there is no imaging that can effectively diagnose a concussion. Typically, most concussions present as a functional issue, rather than a true structural issue (Think more of how a computer program runs rather than the wires connecting it) which is why imaging is rarely helpful.

Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion:
Picture
Picture
Each concussion can present with different signs and symptoms based on numerous factors (i.e. where the impact was, number of concussions, severity, etc.), which is why every concussion must be evaluated and treated on a case-by-case basis. As you can see above, headache takes the cake for most common symptom. Recognizing these signs and symptoms can be very helpful to make sure no concussion goes undiagnosed.


Chronic:

Introducing Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) – this is categorized as a complex disorder in which symptoms – such as headaches and dizziness – continue to persist for more than 21-28 days after the initial injury.

A variety of factors can play into why there are prolonged symptoms:
  • Severity and number of concussions
  • Cervical spine (neck) function
  • Vision or vestibular (balance) systems
  • Psychosocial factors
  • Blood flow

A team approach is most effective to tackle these acute and chronic concussion cases by utilizing a variety of treatment approaches.

Next week, we’ll discuss the final part of this series where we’ll cover management and return to play for concussions. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out by giving us a call at 470-355-2106 or clicking the button below!

Ready To Come See Us?

​Cheers,

Dr. Ravi, PT, DPT, CSCS
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    PT Knowledge

    Dr. Danny and staff's views on performance improvement, injury prevention and sometimes other random thoughts.

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    2015 Review
    Active Atlanta Podcast
    Atlanta
    Australia
    Back Pain
    Blood Flow Restriction
    Boston
    Breathing
    Concussion
    CrossFit
    Deadlift
    Double Under
    Dr. Danny
    Dr. Jacob
    Dr. Marcus
    Dr. Ravi
    Front Rack
    Healthcare & Insurance
    Jumping
    Jumping Rope
    Knee Pain
    Mobility
    Muscles
    Overtraining
    Pelvic Floor
    Performance
    Physical Therapy
    PhysioCoach
    Postpartum
    Pregnancy
    Recovery
    Rehab
    Running
    Shoulder
    Sitting
    Sleep
    Soccer
    Squatting
    Stress Management
    Stretching
    Swim
    Tennis
    Warming Up
    Work
    Youth Sports

    Archives

    February 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014


info@athletespotential.com           
​Phone: 470-355-2106
Fax Number: 404-382-7293
Book Now!
​© Copyright 2016 Athletes' Potential, LLC.  All rights reserved.      
This website does not provide medical advice and does not direct that you undertake any specific exercise or training/rehabilitation regimen.  Consult with a physician before undertaking any information found on this website. All visitors to this site must consent to Terms of use and Notice of Privacy Practice.