How We Help with Concussions

Concussion awareness and treatment, especially for youth athletes, have become increasingly popular over the past few years. It’s estimated that roughly 1.7-3 million athletes will suffer from a concussion every year. An even scarier statistic is that approximately 50% of those concussions will go unreported. 

We know that there’s nothing worse than sitting on the bench; however, we want to make sure that every athlete is educated on concussions and receives the treatment necessary to ensure a safe and lasting return to their sport. 

Our team of experienced doctors at Midjersey Orthopaedics specializes in providing your athlete with the best information, prevention methods, and treatment options for their concussions. 

Concussion basics

Concussions occur after your athlete experiences a significant blow or contact directly to the head or body. This impact causes the brain to twist, bounce, and crash into the skull bone surrounding it, making it swell and bruise. Although these kinds of contacts are most common in sports like football, concussions can occur in almost every sport.

Your child will likely know immediately if they’ve been hit hard enough to sustain a concussion, but symptoms can also be delayed for days or weeks. Typically, the most common sign of a concussion is severe head pain, but it can also result in symptoms, including:

• Confusion and trouble concentrating
• Forgetting events prior to or after the contact
• Loss of balance
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness
• Sensitivity to light and noise
• Feeling groggy or foggy
• Changes in mood or behavior

An athlete can lose consciousness after being hit, but that only happens in the rarest and most severe cases. It can be easy to shrug off a concussion as a bad headache and head back out onto the court or field, but concussions, even mild ones or ones with delayed symptoms, should be evaluated and treated by one of our medical professionals immediately. 

Our concussion management program

It’s more than just “ringing your bell.” Concussions are often labeled as mild traumatic brain injuries, but if left untreated, they can result in repeated concussions and more serious complications down the road. That’s why we’ve designed a concussion management program that supports your athlete before the season has begun and through the remainder of their playing time. 

Pre-season education

Our doctors are proud to offer pre-season support to parents, trainers, coaches, and teams when it comes to concussions. We provide information on how to best prevent a concussion, so your athlete is prepared long before the first whistle blows. 

Pre-season evaluation

Sports teams everywhere are focusing on evaluating athletes before the first practice. We offer ImPACT® testing for all athletes. This is a computer-based evaluation that assesses your athlete’s basic cognitive functioning. Testing before the season gives us a baseline assessment and can be used as a comparison to a post-injury test. 

Injury assessment

Unfortunately, concussions are not completely preventable even for the most informed athlete. If your athlete does get a concussion, our team of doctors is waiting to evaluate and treat their concussion. 

Did the concussion happen during a weekend tournament? No problem. We always have a staff member on call on the weekends and in the evenings. Our offices are equipped with on-site MRIs and specialists ready to give a full evaluation and advice on the next steps. 

Concussion treatment

Although there’s no pill or method that can cure a concussion, we give you and your athlete advice on how to proceed with their concussion and symptoms. Concussions affect nearly every aspect of your athlete’s life, including school, work, and home activities. We maintain constant communication with teachers and coaches and keep them informed. 

Our return-to-exercise programs vary from athlete-to-athlete. We use evaluation tools like ImPACT® testing and other clinical assessments to monitor your athlete’s symptoms and progress. 

We typically recommend that your athlete is absent from practices and games and in some cases has reduced or modified school work until symptoms improve. This gives the brain a chance to rest and reduce any swelling. We work closely with trainers, coaches, and teachers to ensure a smooth and safe transition back into normal activity. 

Concussions are an unfortunate part of being an athlete, but don’t have to keep your athlete from the sport they love. Talk to our doctors about concussion management before and during the start of a new season to make sure this season is a safe one. Call our office in Flemington or Bridgewater, New Jersey, or request an appointment online today.