A Baseline test is an important tool in managing you and your child's overall health. You get your eyes, your teeth and your ears checked, why not check your brain, too?
What is a Concussion?
A concussion is a brain injury due to acceleration, (An injury that occurs when the head, cervical spine, or other body part is hit by a rapidly moving object.).
It used to be thought (and still commonly is thought) that a concussion is the brain bashing up against the inside of the skull, and then bouncing back and hitting the back part of the skull, causing bruising of the outer surface of the brain…and while this may happen to a slight extent it is now known that a concussion injury is due to a stretching of the nerve cells within the brain. It is not a bruise.
This stretching or sheering of nerve cells causes millions of nerves to fire at the same time, (ie. Fencing Response) This is generally too much for the brain to handle and will result in the typical immediate symptoms like confusion, loss of balance or coordination, loss of memory, seizures, loss of consciousness, etc.
Prevalence of Concussions
Concussions amongst young athletes are extremely prevalent, approximately 50% of concussions don't get reported. 10 - 15% of athletes are affected by concussions each year.
Improper management of a concussion can lead to long-term brain damage and severe brain injury, even fatalities, in some cases.
Inconsistency between associations and from one therapist to the next can result in mismanagement.
Lack of education for parents, coaches, and trainers can contribute to the inability to recognize concussions when they occur.
Baseline Testing
Getting your child their Baseline Test once a year is the most important step in managing your child's brain health.
What is Baseline Testing?
A series of physical and cognitive tests that measures healthy brain function before a sports season starts. As symptoms of concussion will often disappear days to weeks before the brain has fully recovered, having baseline information may provide healthcare practitioners with valuable information on brain recovery that may help to inform safer return to learn, work and play decisions.
At Southeast Physiotherapy we know how important Baseline Testing is and we encourage all parents of active children to call in and book their Baseline. We also provide group sessions at reduced rates for your convenience.
We host workshops for parents and coaches to learn more about the Concussion Management process, we regularly post events on our website and Facebook page.
You can find more about our concussion workshops on our events page:Here