Madison Concussion Help: Help for High School Athletes with Head Injuries

The risk of playing sports in high school is something every parent and student is aware of, but what happens when an injury does occur? In many situations, parents will seek medical help, following the advice of their physician. Unfortunately, this is where the care generally stops, normally after a few days or even week of rest. While these steps are important when it comes to overall recovery, they should not be the only ones that are taken. With the high risk of damage from head injuries in virtually every sport, it’s important to extend care by seeing a functional neurologist.

What You Need to Know About Extended Care?

When an injury occurs while playing sports, the damage suffered can go far beyond the physical cuts and bruises that might be the most obvious. Head injuries are incredibly common, even for athletes who do not lose consciousness. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize this, even with proper medical care immediately after the injury occurred. In most situations this leaves the athlete thinking they are “okay”, when in reality their brain is unable to perform with the functionality it had before.

Where traditional medical care stops, functional neurologypicks up. Rather than send you on your way after a few days of rest, they do a full evaluation brain to body evaluation in order to determine the extent of all injuries. The specialized tests they use are unique to their approach and may include:

– Coordination Assessment

– Sensory Testing

– Cognitive Evaluation

Each of these are important because they offer more insight into the state of the athlete’s brain and the best course of rehabilitation.

Why Is Rehabilitation So Important?

Even in situations where the athlete did not lose consciousness, it’s incredibly important to monitor the activity in the brain. This is because most injuries, even if they are mild, can cause the soft tissue of the brain to become damaged. With this, the student ends up losing functionality, whether this means their ability to quickly remember something or maintain normal composure in frustrating situations. Not everyone will notice this right away, which is why so many parents and athletes are under the impression that they are “fine” whether or not they lost consciousness.

Fortunately, with the help of a functional neurologist, every concern about your child’s brain health can be addressed. Through in-depth testing and regular rehabilitation appointments, they will work to help your child’s brain heal. In time this may help prevent loss of functionality all while improving the athlete’s chance of a healthy recovery.

Don’t Settle for Limited Sports Injury Rehabilitation

The brain needs to be rehabilitated just like a broken bone does; otherwise the patient could be left suffering the consequences for a long time to come. Even if you’ve been told your child is “okay” after a high school sports injury, it’s worthwhile to seek another opinion. Fortunately, a functional neurologist will be honest, open, and there for you every step of the way.