What is a Concussion?
Getting the concussion care you need starts with understanding what a concussion is. A concussion is a brain injury caused by acceleration or deceleration of the brain following a significant impact to the head or elsewhere on the body. The impact causes biochemical imbalances within brain cells, resulting in decreased blood flow and temporary energy deficits. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness, headache, pressure in the head, neck pain, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, or balance problems, among others.
Baseline Testing
Baseline testing is a series of physical and cognitive tests that provide a pre-injury overview of healthy brain function. These tests can offer healthcare practitioners an objective benchmark on which to compare should an athlete sustain a concussion.
As concussion symptoms often disappear days to weeks before the brain has recovered, having valuable baseline information may help healthcare practitioners to make safer return to play decisions.
Concussion Treatment
Following a short period of rest, the International Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport recommends a gradual increase in mental and physical activity guided by a licensed healthcare practitioner trained in concussion management. If symptoms persist beyond 10 days, exercise therapy, manual therapy of the neck, diet and nutrition changes, and vestibular and visual rehabilitation can be effective treatment options in these cases and are all part of the CCM treatment protocols. A comprehensive baseline test will help guide treatment and help ensure a full recovery.
Why Complete Concussion Management?
Through Kinetic Evolution’s partnership with CCMI, athletes now have access to a network of recognized clinics and multi-disciplinary practitioners that provide experienced and standardized concussion care at any location.