Why You Should Never Skip the Neck in Concussion Evaluation & Rehab.
Every patient with a concussion is a patient with a neck injury. Let me explain. A concussion results when the brain undergoes such rapid acceleration-deceleration that shearing and stretching of…
Rethinking Concussion Recovery: The Case for Active Rehabilitation Concussions are more than just a bump on the head, or “getting your bell rung”; they are a type of mild traumatic…
Introduction Appropriate concussion management is crucial for ensuring the well-being and long-term health of individuals who have experienced a mild traumatic brain injury. One aspect of concussion management that has…
How Hard is Too Hard? Examining the Forces Behind Concussive Impacts.
Introduction to Concussions A concussion (or mild traumatic brain injury) is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that occurs when the brain experiences sudden movement or impact. This can…
In this episode, Dr. Marshall reviews the CDC Concussion Guidelines, and offers insights about how to apply them to concussion management and patient care.
The recommendations are based on a systematic review of concussion literature from 2012 to 2015, and includes 19 sets of recommendations for the diagnosis, prognosis and management of paediatric concussions – or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
The purpose of the document is to help improve the clinical guidance for licensed healthcare professionals, and ultimately, provide better concussion care.
Key highlights include:[1]
Healthcare professionals should not obtain x-ray, MRI or CT scans for diagnosing concussions. These are not required to diagnose a concussion; however, may sometimes be used if a healthcare professional suspects a skull fracture or brain bleed.
Blood and saliva tests have not been proven to work for diagnosing concussions. These should not be used outside of a research or scientific setting.
Most concussion symptoms in children resolve within one to three months; however, recovery time may vary for a number of reasons such as a history of concussion injuries.
Children and teenagers with learning difficulties or mental illness (such as anxiety or depression) may require more time to fully recover.
Healthcare professionals should use a variety of concussion tools and assessments that are based on age and have validated symptom rating scales.
Rest is no longer considered the best approach to concussion care. Following a short period of rest (up to three days – according to the CDC concussion guidelines), gradual, guided and active treatment and rehabilitation should start under the guidance of a healthcare professional. It’s important to ensure that activity and rehabilitation stays below symptom threshold – or to the point until symptoms do not flare-up.
For more information about the CDC concussion guidelines, check out the full JAMA publication, or listen or watch Dr. Marshall’s summary below. Enjoy!
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Our network and patient database enables large-scale research to advance concussion management, and ultimately, the long-term health and well-being of concussion patients and also teach them some concussion care at home.
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