Concussion Recovery
With Certified Professionals
Your Recovery Team
Concussion, also known as a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), is a functional injury to the brain. It triggers a chemical chain reaction that creates an energy crisis in the brain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this energy crisis can affect balance, attention, concentration, visual processing, and physical capacity.
All concussions should be assessed by a medical professional regardless of symptom severity. Williams Integracare offers concussion education, consultation, baseline testing, and rehabilitation.
Why See a Licensed and Certified Physical Therapist or Physical Therapy Assistant for a Concussion?
Licensed and Specialized Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants at Williams Integracare can address many of the systems affected by concussion: vestibular dysfunctions (balance and dizziness), basic oculomotor dysfunction, musculoskeletal injuries associated with concussion (ie. whiplash injuries), and cardiovascular.
Reference the common concussion symptoms displayed in the infographic. Many of these symptoms can be addressed by a specially trained Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant. Staff at Integracare have undergone training with the American Institute of Balance to specialize in concussion, vestibular, dizziness, and vertigo.
How Do We Determine When You Can Return to Work/School/Sports?
Our multimodal, multidisciplinary approach allows us to use all information specific to the individual to determine their ability to return to work/school/sport. At Williams Integracare, we use a variety of assessment tools to track a patient’s progress through recovery. Our team works to return patients to their prior level of activity as quickly and safely as possible.
An Individualized and Specific Plan for Every Patient
We understand how important it is to get back to the game or activity you love. We want to help you do that in a manner that is safe and effective. That is why our physical therapists create a unique treatment plan for each patient. Every recovery plan is different because each injury is unique.
Concussion Baseline Plus Program
Integracare’s baseline plus concussion program is completed before an injury occures. As the name suggests, the data from this testing provides a baseline to test against should you be injured later on.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Concussions occur from a blow to the head OR a blow to the body causing force transmitted to the head, commonly referred to as whiplash.
Yes, a loss of consciousness occurs in less than 10% of concussions.
Concussions are a functional injury to the brain, not a structural injury. The brain may stretch and twist during impact, damaging brain cells and causing chemical changes. This “energy crisis” disrupts normal function and is not visible on imaging.
Yes. Several underlying causes can result in ongoing symptoms if not appropriately managed.
Strict rest immediately after a concussion has not been shown to be beneficial. In fact, safe, guided aerobic exercise helps promote neurological recovery. Physical Therapy at Williams Integracare can help determine the proper intensity and timing of activity based on your individual response.
Following an injury, patients will have an extensive evaluation by one of our trained Physical Therapists to assess all symptoms, underlying cause, systems involved, and develop your individualized treatment plan. Following your evaluation, sessions may include a combination of musculoskeletal rehab, oculomotor rehab, vestibular rehab and/or exertion rehab.
This will be assessed in physical therapy following a comprehensive evaluation however 20 minutes of SAFE and LIGHT aerobic exercise such as walking can improve recovery beginning 48-72 hours following a concussion according to the CDC.
Williams Integracare uses a multimodal approach to baseline testing. Our Baseline Plus program gathers detailed, objective data about an athlete’s brain function before an injury. If a concussion occurs, this information helps guide safe return-to-play decisions.
The Baseline Plus test takes about 15 minutes in the clinic and includes a separate computer-based test completed at home. It should be repeated every 1–2 years depending on the athlete’s age.
While a baseline test is strongly recommended to aid in creating a more specific care plan, we do also accept patients for concussion care who have not completed a baseline test.
REQUEST INFORMATION
If you are interested in learning more about baseline concussion testing for someone in your family, or for your entire team/organization, complete the form below. A member of our physical therapy team will contact you with more information.
Sartell Location
