Expert Concussion Management in Summit County
Without proper treatment, the symptoms of a concussion can persist and continue impacting the patient’s quality of life or daily functions. Vail-Summit Physical Therapy provides concussion management and traumatic brain injury treatment to help people overcome the life-disrupting concussion symptoms and reclaim their lives.
What Is a Concussion?
A concussion occurs when a traumatic brain injury, such as a blow to the head, affects normal brain function. Concussions are commonly called “invisible injuries.” Unlike having a broken bone, concussed individuals may walk normally and appear uninjured but are really struggling to perform basic, everyday activities.
Common symptoms of a concussion include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Headache
Blurry and double vision
Fatigue
Ringing in ears
Confusion
Dizziness
Forgetfulness
Because concussions appear different in every person, they can be challenging to diagnose and complex to treat. Other times, concussion symptoms may not appear until days after the injury. These can manifest as:
Balance problems
Issues with concentration
Memory lapses
Personality changes
Light and noise sensitivity
Smell and taste disorders
Sleep disturbances
Difficulty multitasking at home or at work
It’s essential to seek emergency care after a head injury, even if the symptoms of a concussion aren’t immediately present. This is especially true for children and athletes. A thorough assessment is needed to prescribe appropriate treatment.
Concussion Treatment Near Me
In many cases, concussions will resolve without medical intervention — usually within one to two weeks. However, if the symptoms persist or the patient has not yet returned to full function in work or school, our team of concussion experts at Vail-Summit Physical Therapy is often called upon for concussion rehabilitation.
The first step of concussion treatment is assessing the potential causes behind the patient’s symptoms. This evaluation could include any or all of the following:
Neurological Exam: This involves assessing the neck and any musculoskeletal injuries, vision, vestibular functioning, balance, and coordination. The Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test is often used to establish appropriate levels of exercise and return to play.
Cognitive Evaluation: This involves assessing thinking skills, such as memory, concentration, executive functioning, self-awareness, and self-management strategies.
ImPACT Concussion Testing: A computerized battery of cognitive tests, can be administered to assist in the decision to return to sport and work.
At Vail-Summit Physical Therapy, our team takes the time to understand each patient’s unique issues. Treatment is focused on remediating the symptoms and strengthening neurological or cognitive areas impacted by the concussion. This could include:
Modifying physical activities that provoke symptoms and slowly progressing exercise in a safe way
Treating headaches using cranial-sacral techniques, dry needling, and gentle soft tissue massage
Adjusting cognitive activities that require sustained concentration or constantly switching attention and identifying strategies to simplify cognitive tasks
Learning routines so you can complete daily tasks without aggravating your brain injury symptoms
Pain relief that does not increase your risk of bleeding
Learning self-awareness and self-management strategies to cope, adapt and overcome frustration or difficulties with everyday tasks
Creating a plan to return to work, school, and sports that is unique to the individual
Vail-Summit Physical Therapy’s concussion management program aims to get the patient back to their everyday life in a thoughtful, progressive, and deliberate way.
Schedule a Consultation with a Brain Injury Expert
Vail-Summit Physical Therapy offers concussion management therapy in Eagle and Summit County. By focusing on the “big picture” of concussion treatment alongside the individual’s goals, our expert team can restore patients to their lifestyle and livelihood.
Contact our offices today to schedule an appointment with one of our concussion and brain injury experts. We’ll help you overcome your injury and get your life back!
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