There has been growing attention placed on concussions over the past few years but little has been done to establish focused care for these patients. An estimated 3.8 million sports and recreational-related head injuries occur in the U.S. each year with 2.4 million patients pursuing assessment in a clinic or emergency department. Around 75% of those receive a diagnosis of concussion. Unfortunately, only 6% of these concussion patients are predicted to receive any type of follow up care.
In an effort to reach these patients and better serve our community, we established Comprehensive Concussion Care as a new clinic with a business model of providing follow up care to concussion patients to fully manage their recovery.
A concussion is not the same for everyone. New research has shown there to be at least six different types of concussion. Each type requires a different approach or trajectory of therapy and length of recovery. Many patients will present with symptoms of more than one type of concussion, further complicating management. In addition, more and more individuals are experiencing 2nd, 3rd or cumulative head injury events. Males and females recover differently as do adolescents, teens, adults, and patients with underlying ADD/ADHD. This makes concussion management very challenging.
To understand concussions, you have to see and treat a lot of them. This is why at Comprehensive Concussion Care all we see are concussion patients!
We accept and anticipate patients coming to us from several different referral sources. Our concussion specialists will determine what type of concussion the patient has and then start a therapy program. This may include a home program, vestibular or physical therapy, or it may require further referrals to a specialist in Neurology, Neuropsychology or Neuro-Optometry. Comprehensive Care is the goal of our Concussion Program.
Our clinic will assess patients by testing all of the domains commonly involved in the array of symptoms that make up a concussion.
| Type of Testing | Comprehensive Concussion Care | Hospital Concussion Clinic | Family Practice Clinic |
| Baseline Evaluations |
X |
x |
+/- |
| Physical Exam |
X |
x |
x |
| Symptom Checklist |
X |
x |
x |
| Neurocognitive (ImPACT©) |
X |
x |
+/- |
| Balance Board |
X |
x |
|
| Vestibular-Ocular (VOMS) |
X |
x |
|
| Physical Exertion |
X |
||
| Proprioceptive |
X |
||
| Cervical Spine |
X |
||
| Mental Health |
X |
||
| 5-Phase Test Out Program |
X |
We will work with your employer, school, physician, ATC, school nurse, athletic director or principal to obtain safe recovery and plan your return to work, school or sports activity. We will be accepting patients who sustained concussion in sports or recreational-related activity, from an injury at work, patients involved in MVAs and those that merely slipped and fell. We will also see workman’s compensation injuries. Our clinic is focused on those ages 12 to 55 but we accept all referrals for an initial consultation.