CORA Physical Therapy

In Your Corner with CORA: Concussion Management & Protocols

| Adam Goodrich

Your Health, Objectively. Treating Everyone Right.

In Your Corner with CORA continues our series on common upper and lower extremity injuries for football players and athletes of all varieties and sport. Over the past few months, our expert panels have discussed the topics of Shoulder Injuries, Pectoralis Major Tears, Distal Biceps Tendon Tears, and AC Joint Injuries.

Up next, host Dr. Richard Lehman sits down with concussion experts from CORA Physical Therapy and Winning Health Sports Medicine in Charleston, South Carolina to talk about concussion management and protocols.

Last year alone (2019), there were approximately 2-3 million documented concussions. Furthermore, traumatic brain injury (TBI) represented the number one cause of sports related deaths. It’s a hot topic and the science behind concussions seems to be constantly evolving. That’s also why it’s so important to have the benefit of knowledge and expertise in your corner with protocols in place to help manage the signs and symptoms of a concussion. Special guests include:

Dr. Jana Upshaw and Dr. Andrew McMarlin both work in The Concussion Center of Charleston, South Carolina with years of experience working in pediatrics, ER and even Major League Soccer. Bryan Anderson, Director of Sports Medicine at CORA, in his role works with athletes of all age levels who experience brain injuries on a regular basis; he has also helped develop CORA’s concussion program which is offered to clinicians across the country as educational course content to further their own knowledge and expertise.

The panel discusses everything related to head injuries and concussion management, from A through Z, including the SCAT5, a standardized assessment tool used to diagnosis and recognize ‘red flags’ that the injured athlete may be displaying.

These measures become so critically important to understand the best plan of care in the immediate aftermath of someone who has experienced excessive force to the head.

  1. What is a concussion and its pathophysiology?
  2. What is the clinical presentation of a concussion? How is it diagnosed?
  3. Explain some of the testing protocols and physical exam on the sideline. What is the SCAT5 Assessment Tool?
  4. What are some of the “red flags” that the clinician should be tuned into during initial evaluation?
  5. Are there any dead giveaways or symptoms you look for when an athlete is concussed?
  6. What are some valuable Neurophysiological Assessment Tools beyond the SCAT5?
  7. Are there certain factors that predisposes an individual to recurrent concussions? Who is most at risk for a first-time concussion and recurrent concussions?
  8. Describe the gamut of treatment along with specific treatment protocols. For example, how long does it take to recover? What are some of the different variables at play?

In Your Corner with CORA on Concussion Management and Protocols answers these questions and more. Watch, listen, and enjoy Part 1 of 2: Concussion Management and Protocols!

In the second part of our 2-part panel on concussions, Dr. Richard Lehman calls on the panel to dive deeper into protective head gear, genetic testing Apolipoprotein E and general community education on brain injuries. Bryan Anderson ATC, Dr. McMarlin and Dr. Upshaw also answer questions such as:

  1. What is Second Impact Syndrome? What is Post-Concussion Syndrome?
  2. What is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and how do concussions relate? Do you have to have a concussion to get CTE?
  3. Explain the behavioral changes, mood changes and cognitive impairment of CTE.
  4. What does the future hold for concussion research and the treatment of brain injuries?
  5. What age do we consider it a concussion or minimal brain injury?
  6. How does the evaluation differ from an adult? Treatment?

CORA is in your corner with experienced partners, larger networks, and the resources available to deliver exceptional care to you — and uniquely for you.