Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Concussion - Your Game Plan for Recovery
    Concussion - Your Game Plan for Recovery
    Concussion - Your Game Plan for Recovery
    Ebook143 pages1 hour

    Concussion - Your Game Plan for Recovery

    By Audrey Paul M.D. Ph.D. FAAP

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Concussions are common and are commonly mismanaged. Even with recent updates with recommendations for an active, targeted recovery plan, concussed individuals are often still told to rest in a dark room, no screen time, no work, until symptoms resolve. "Concussion-Your Game Plan for Recovery" provides the most up to date guide to concussion diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateNov 4, 2019
    ISBN9781543991246
    Concussion - Your Game Plan for Recovery

    Related to Concussion - Your Game Plan for Recovery

    Related ebooks

    Medical For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      “Is Rugby Safe For Kids?”

      Feb 2, 2021

      Rugby’s most outspoken and inf luential journal ist IS RUGBY safe for children and young adults? It’s clearly the most important question of the era for rugby’s future. Not only for young men and women, and boys and girls, but for concerned parents a

      7 min read

    • Article

      Editor’s Note

      Jun 1, 2019

      I am writing this on 1 April – and you will be reading this sometime after June 2019. But today is the first day that the following natural therapies will no longer be covered under private health general treatment policies: Alexander Technique, Arom

      3 min read

    • Article

      Parenting Push

      Aug 15, 2017

      Parenting Push
      2 min read

    • Article

      Ross Brownson

      Apr 6, 2021

      Ross Brownson
      2 min read

    • Article

      Opinion: New Guidelines On Severe Brain Injury Complicate Already Difficult Decisions

      Jul 29, 2019

      Without better prognostic tools, doctors and families must make life and death decisions for individuals with catastrophic brain injuries in the face of conflicting recommendations from medical experts.

      4 min read

    • Article

      Where Does Rugby Stand?

      Jan 4, 2022

      Where Does Rugby Stand?
      9 min read

    • Article

      Upfront

      Mar 22, 2020

      Upfront
      19 min read

    • Article

      A Bright Outlook

      Jan 31, 2023

      A Bright Outlook
      2 min read

    • Article

      Top health

      Apr 11, 2023

      Top health
      2 min read

    • Article

      Think Like a Researcher

      Nov 26, 2021

      When I was asked to start writing this column in 2015, I had just started as an assistant professor at The College of Idaho after moving from the Bay Area. I had just injured myself and was struggling to regain the peak running form I achieved a few

      6 min read

    • Article

      Let’s Talk About Our Health Anxiety Over COVID-19

      Apr 2, 2020

      The hint of a headache at your temples, an itch at the back of your throat, a fever so slight you barely feel it. You know that it’s probably nothing, but, still, part of you wonders: Could it be? In this new reality where quarantine is a daily reali

      6 min read

    • Article

      Signs Of trouble

      May 11, 2023

      Signs Of trouble
      7 min read

    • Article

      Ryan Prior

      Dec 16, 2022

      Q _ As a teen, you suffered through a debilitating “invisible” illness that eluded diagnosis for months. What is the most validating thing a doctor can do for a patient in that situation? A _Three simple words, “I believe you.” As Sir William Osler,

      3 min read

    • Article

      Ryan Prior

      Dec 16, 2022

      Q _ As a teen, you suffered through a debilitating “invisible” illness that eluded diagnosis for months. What is the most validating thing a doctor can do for a patient in that situation? A _Three simple words, “I believe you.” As Sir William Osler,

      3 min read

    • Article

      Top of Mind

      Oct 23, 2018

      Top of Mind
      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Concussion - Your Game Plan for Recovery

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Concussion - Your Game Plan for Recovery - Audrey Paul M.D. Ph.D. FAAP

      Concussion - Your Game Plan for a More Effective Recovery

      Copyright © 2019 by Audrey Paul M.D. Ph.D.

      All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

      ISBN (Print): 978-1-54399-123-9

      ISBN (eBook): 978-1-54399-124-6

      Contributing Authors

      Harrison T. Mu M.D. FACS FAANS

      Anthony Silver MS MA LMFT BCN qEEG-D

      Dedication

      This book is dedicated to the memory of my father, Dr. Simion Zelicof, who always pushed me to be the best I could be. I also want to thank my amazing husband, best friend and biggest cheerleader Louis, my incredible children Josh and Jaime and my mom. Without their unfailing support this book would have never been completed. I also want to thank Dr. Harrison T.Mu for his editorial support, written contributions and well-meaning and necessary nudging and Anthony Silver for his support, written contributions and competitive, motivating spirit. Finally, I would like to express my thanks to Abigail Straight, a talented Staples High School student who designed the book illustrations.

      Contents

      A Concussion Primer

      Chapter 1: Concussion, Numbers and Legislation

      Chapter 2: Brain Basics – Understanding the Structure of the Healthy Brain and Brain Injury Classifications

      Chapter 3: Concussion Defined

      Chapter 4: Sideline Assessment of Concussion

      Chapter 5: Office Evaluation of Concussions – Concussion Diagnosis off the Field

      Chapter 6: Post-Concussion Syndrome

      Chapter 7: Concussion Is Treatable (How Much Rest Do You Really Need?)

      Chapter 8: Returning to Learn and Returning to Play

      Chapter 9: Concussions and the Future

      Conclusion

      References

      Introduction

      A Concussion Primer

      A primer is defined as a less detailed textbook that serves as an introduction to a subject of study. Information taught through a primer is digestible and understandable. With this book, I want to present an easy-to-read, evidence-based and current resource for parents, patients and practitioners . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) we are seeing record numbers of concussions. But, we have only recently begun to develop an understanding of the science of concussions and appropriate concussion therapies.

      The field of concussion is changing rapidly. New information on medications and alternative therapies for concussion crops up every day. Even while I was writing this book, the CDC and the American Society for Sports Medicine released new recommendations on concussion management (Lumba et al. 2018; Harmon et al. 2019). New experimental diagnostic tests are constantly being developed and evaluated.

      Sifting through all the information on the Internet or from friends and colleagues to find correct and up-to-date information can push a parent or caregiver over the edge. Concussion information is sometimes contradictory, incomplete or not evidence based, and parents, patients and practitioners can be easily overwhelmed and make decisions that unnecessarily prolong recovery.

      True or False?

      1. Helmets prevent concussions.

      2. Hyperbaric chambers help speed concussion recovery.

      3. Mouth guards prevent concussion.

      4. Concussions can be diagnosed on a CT scan or MRI.

      5. Extended strict rest is necessary for concussion recovery.

      Answers

      All the above are FALSE.

      • Helmets are important in the prevention of major traumatic brain injury and decrease the risk of skull fractures and brain bleeding. but do not prevent concussions.

      • Studies examining the use of hyperbaric therapy for concussion have shown no difference between control patients and those treated with hyperbaric therapy (Crawford et al. 2017).

      • Mouth guards are key in preventing dental injuries, but serve no role in concussion prevention.

      • Concussions are still a clinical diagnosis and imaging has not been validated for concussion.

      • Strict rest is only beneficial in the initial 48-72 hours. A program of active and targeted rehabilitation is the most effective for treating concussion.

      Yet, the internet is full of advertising for concussion-preventing mouth guards and helmets. Many centers offer unvalidated therapies such as hyperbaric chamber treatment modalities for concussion and other forms of traumatic brain injury.

      Concussion is a clinical diagnosis. While scientists are hard at work trying to develop more effective and objective screening tools, there is no definitive blood or radiographic test that clearly identifies a concussion. Strict rest or cocooning used to be recommended until patients were clear from concussion symptoms. Prolonged periods of inactivity have now been linked with depression and longer recovery times.

      Concussion diagnosis, management and prevention is challenging. As a hockey parent, a pediatric emergency physician and a concussion specialist, I have experienced first-hand the frustration of not having clear answers about my son’s recovery path, or answers for parents who come to the emergency department with their concussed child. On the other hand, I have partnered with patients and their families through an active targeted recovery program. I have seen first-hand how timely, effective concussion management results in rapid recovery and return to sport, school or work. The purpose of this book is to serve as an objective, evidence-based guide to concussions for patients, practitioners and parents.

      This book is organized into nine chapters. The first chapter serves as an introduction to the scope of concussion in our country today. I summarize information on the demographics of concussion, concussion risk by sport and what legislation is being passed to make sports safer. This chapter might be useful if you want to decide on a lower risk sport for concussion (although no sport is truly concussion-risk free! Even getting out of bed in the morning is associated with a risk of head injury). Chapter 2 serves to give a basic grasp of basic brain anatomy and cell biology and explains the different classifications of traumatic brain injury by severity. Chapter 3 delves into the definition of concussion. Concussions are difficult to define since there is no validated biomarker and neuro-imaging does not yet exist. Concussions are a clinical diagnosis and separate from other types of traumatic brain injury. Chapters 4 and 5 discuss how concussions can be identified on the sideline and in the office. When concussions don’t resolve in the expected time duration, individuals are said to suffer from post-concussion symptoms. The criteria and risk factors for post-concussion symptoms are elaborated upon in Chapter 6. Since writing this book, post-concussion syndrome has been renamed post-concussion symptoms – relating to the complexity and variability of symptoms and recovery. The most important finding in the past five years has been that concussions are treatable. Chapter 7 discusses evidence-based treatment modalities for concussion – both traditional and alternative. An important aspect of concussion treatment is reintegration into every-day life through school and sports. Chapter 8 discussed plans for return to school and return to sports in a timely manner. Finally, chapter 9 addresses the latest and greatest research technologies that are being tested for concussion diagnosis and treatment.

      You may not want to read this book from cover to cover, but hopefully you will find a section or several sections that help direct you towards a better understanding of how to diagnose a concussion and perhaps more importantly, how to achieve a safe and more rapid recovery.

      Chapter 1

      Concussion, Numbers and Legislation

      Over 60 million children and adolescents participate in sports annually, and over 7 million children are involved in high school sports (2017–2018 High School Athletics Sports Participation Survey). Approximately 3 million athletes play youth football, with 1.1 million in high school football and 100,000 in college football and beyond. According to 2017 statistics, there are over 3 million children enrolled in

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1