Area schools and universities have begun workouts for the new football season. Concussions resulting from contact sports like football are treatable — but the approach has changed over the years.
KERA’s Sam Baker talked with Dr. Erin Reynolds, clinical director of Baylor Scott & White’s sports concussion program about how treatment has evolved.
Interview Highlights:
How Doctors Used To Treat Concussion
Fifteen years ago, we were telling people to go home, stay in the dark. Don't get out of bed until you feel better. Avoid all activity. We now know that not only doesn't help the brain to recover, but as human beings, it makes us feel worse. You start to have mood changes and your sleep schedule is disrupted.
>>The Current Approach:
We try to get people back to their normal activities as soon as possible without making them feel sick. For every person that's going to look very different. Not everyone is going to feel motion sick, or have migraine headaches, or have mood changes. The treatment has to reflect what the individual's experiencing.
Determining The Right Treatment
We use a team approach: I'm a clinical psychologist with specialty training in neuropsychology, which is the relationship between the brain and behavior. And I work with a sports medicine physician, and a physical therapist fellowship trained in neurologic physical therapy.
A Three-tiered Approach In Evaluations
- Talking to the patient and understanding what he or she is experiencing.
- Computer based neurocognitive testing
- Use of the vestibular ocular motor screen to evaluate head and eye movements.
Actual Treatment
The treatments would be physical therapy. Some patients do wind up meeting medication, especially those who are having chronic headaches or some mood changes or suite changes. And then the rest is working with folks to modify their day to day activities to accommodate their symptoms.
RESOURCES:
BSW Concussion Treatment Program
Concussion & Traumatic Brain Injury
Got a tip? Email Sam Baker at sbaker@kera.org. You can follow him on Twitter @srbkera.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
