An estimated 1.6–3.8 million sports- and recreation-related concussions occur in the United States each year – (Brain Injury Research Institute).
Concussion injuries cause an array of symptoms that negatively affect many aspects of your body. When these injuries occur, they can impact your thinking, vision, balance, reaction time, mood, and sleep. This often creates a unique and complex puzzle for physical therapists to solve. Agile Physical Therapy believes in taking a highly individualized approach to concussion rehabilitation.
With our evidence-based approach to concussion rehabilitation, our physical therapists evaluate adn treat your whole body. Agile PT combines current research and our clinical expertise to guide our concussion rehabilitation treatment sessions.
Do You Think You Need Concussion Rehabilitation?
It is important to be vigilant after sustaining a possible traumatic brain injury, no matter how mild. In rare cases, a dangerous blood clot that crowds the brain against the skull can develop. The people checking on you should call 911 or take you to an emergency department right away if you have any of the following symptoms:
A headache that gets worse and does not go away
Weakness, numbness, decreased coordination, convulsions, or seizures
Vomit repeatedly
Slurred speech or unusual behavior
One pupil (the black part in the middle of the eye) larger than the other
Cannot recognize people or places, confusion, restlessness, or agitation
Lose consciousness, look very drowsy or cannot wake up
Danger Signs in Children:
Call 911 or take your child to the emergency department right away if they received an injury to the head or body and show the following symptoms:
Any of the danger signs for adults listed above
Will not stop crying and are inconsolable
Will not nurse or eat
What Happens After You Have a Concussion Injury?
Concussion treatments have come a long way in the past few decades, with good evidence to support their benefit. Because concussion injuries affect many systems in your body, it is important to seek a physical therapist. At Agile Physical Therapy, we have specialized therapists ready to assist you with your concussion rehabilitation. (Scroll to the bottom of the page to get in touch with our specialists!)
How Do We Evaluate Concussions at Agile Physical Therapy?
First, we would love to get to know you. Then, we want to know the details of your injury, and your health history. Our physical therapists will ask about your specific goals in order to tailor the best treatments for you. Taking a detailed history is a critical component to concussion evaluations. We believe it is important to cover all the bases during your first visit.
How do we determine your specific needs? Once we have a better understanding of your background, we will perform a clinical exam to find the roots of your issues. These exams may include any of the following:
Cognitive screen
Neck examination
Eye and inner ear exam
Balance and movement exam
Heart assessment, including concussion treadmill testing
Return to sport or activity testing (to make sure you’re ready to go back to what you love!)
What Goes Into Concussion Rehabilitation Treatments at Agile PT?
Following your evaluation, our therapists will implement treatments based on your individual needs. Our treatment programs are custom built to target the areas that your brain and body need in order to recovery optimally. Your program may include:
Hands-on manual therapy
Neck exercises
Inner ear exercises
Eye exercises
Coordination and balance exercises
Dual-task activities
Graded aerobic program
Sport or activity-specific training
At Agile Physical Therapy, we commit to providing the best possible care. This may require collaboration with specialists from other disciplines, including Neurology, Neuro-optometry, Otology, Cognitive Psychology, etc. With your permission, we will communicate with other involved parties (your family, school, or work, etc.) regarding your treatment plan. This will ensure that everyone is aligned in supporting your recovery.
Our specialized concussion therapists at Agile, Stacey Sbutega, Manvi Gulati, Rupali Vyas, and Trevor Hopkins are trained to ensure that you are getting the best treatments. Our physical therapists address your individual needs. We look forward to helping you with your concussion rehabilitation journey!
