Concussions
Baptist Sports Medicine is proud to offer the longest running and most comprehensive care program for sports concussions. In 2007, Baptist Sports Medicine partnered with the Howell-Allen Clinic and Dr. Jason Hubbard to launch a new care initiative for concussions in Middle Tennessee. This included visiting some of the nation's most prestigious concussion care programs to bring the best available concussion medicine to Nashville.
As a result, our partnership has made the ImPACT baseline concussion test available to thousands of Middle Tennessee athletes at no charge, and we continue to make this important test available to student-athletes through affiliated schools and athletic programs.
Baseline testing is simply the first step. If you've suffered a concussion, our team of experts stands ready to assist. Your primary care or sports medicine physician may not offer the most up-to-date concussion-related care, and that's where we come in. We offer quick access to physicians who have received added training and special qualifications for the evaluation and management of concussions. Our physicians will manage your ongoing care including repeated testing with the ImPACT post-concussion test and detailed neurocognitive and vestibular exams.
Our services don't stop at the physician's evaluation. Regardless of the physician supervising your care, our team of physical therapists, athletic trainers, and vestibular therapists specialize in the management of concussion related symptoms, and can likely help improve your daily symptom management during recovery.
As you reach the end of your recovery, we offer a detailed return-to-play testing protocol. While you may feel normal at rest, it is important to replicate sports-like scenarios in a controlled setting before returning to full competition. Our experts can provide that controlled setting combined with performance-based drills and cognitive, vestibular, balance, and heart rate testing.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call 284-GAME.
If you are an athlete competing in TSSAA sanctioned sports, and are recovering from a concussion, your physician must approve your return to competition using a specific TSSAA form.
What Defines a Concussion?
A concussion is defined as an alteration in the physiological processing center of the brain which results in a myriad of signs and symptoms. Concussions occur due to impacts between the skull and brain. Impacts do not have to occur directly to the head for a concussion to occur. Whiplash mechanisms are another common way concussions can occur during athletic competition.
Think about an egg. The yolk inside is the brain and it's floating in spinal fluid (the egg white) which is protected by the egg shell (skull). If you shake the egg violently, the yolk inside will become disrupted but the shell will remain unharmed. Just like with a concussion, the brain will collide with the skull and not function properly, but the skull will more than likely be unharmed.
What are the Grading Scales for Concussion?
Concussions are no longer being categorized as a ding to the head and medical professionals are moving away from grading the severity of a concussion. Concussions must be considered serious and handled based upon each athlete's presentation of signs and symptoms.
What are the Signs/Symptoms of a Concussion?
Someone who has suffered from a concussion can demonstrate signs and symptoms consisting of but not limited to:
Headache
Sensitivity of Noise
Nausea
Feeling in a fog
Dizziness
Retro-grade Amnesia
Irritability
Antero-grade Amnesia
Loss of Consciousness
Depression
Sensitivity to Light
What Should I do if a Concussion Occurs?
Always stay on the side of caution when making decisions regarding concussions. Remove the athlete from play and monitor their signs and symptoms.
Ensure the athlete is evaluated by a health care professional experienced in evaluating concussions and keep the athlete out of play the day of the injury.
Do not return the individual to play until a health care professional says they are symptom-free and it's OK to return to play.
