Videos

Concussion expert, Kevin Guskiewicz, PhD, ATC, Kenan Distinguished Professor and Director of the Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says the concussion safety laws now in place in a majority of states are making sports safer by providing for more concussion education and encouraging honest self-reporting, and that  sports medicine has come a "long way" in developing tools that can be used to identify concussion injury and guide the return-to-play decision.

Sports concussion neuropsychologist Rosemarie Scolaro Moser, Ph. D., explains why a neuropsychologist is an important member of the concussion care team.

For more MomsTeam videos featuring Dr. Moser, click here.

When it is okay to return to a full academic school day after concussion is different for every student, says sports neuropsychologist Rosemarie Scolaro Moser, Ph. D. Some may be able to return after only a day or two, while others may need to be progressed more slowly, and, in those cases, it is important to work with a health care professional who understands concussion and academic accommodations who can design a program tailored to the individual student's needs.

For more MomsTeam videos featuring Dr. Moser, click here.

 

Sports concussion neuropsychologist Rosemarie Scolaro Moser, Ph. D. says  the reason a student-athlete needs to get cognitive and physical rest after a concussion is to reduce the work the injured brain has to do to allow it to heal.

Cognitive rest means:

• No computer or video games;
• No homework;
• No reading;
• No tests;
• Limited television (no sports programs); and
• No socializing with friends (including text messaging).

Physical rest means:

 

Sports concussion neuropsychologist Rosemarie Scolaro Moser, Ph. D. provides an overview of the concussion evaluation and management process leading, hopefully, to a student-athlete's return to sports:

1. Immediate removal from play in case of suspected concussion.  Remember: symptoms may not appear right away, especially in younger athletes.  

2. Examination by physician to rule out a more serious, potentially life-threatening brain injury.

3. Cognitive and physical rest to allow the brain to heal.

4. Return to play only when:

New rules put in place by the Ivy League for the 2011 football season - including a reduction in the number of full-contact practices and drills - were designed to protect student-athletes from subconcussive hits considered a possible cause of long-term brain injury, says University of Pennsylvania head athletic trainer Eric Laudano, and blazed a trail he hopes other football conferences will follow.

Eating foods rich in Omega 3's (DHA or fish oil), such as tunafish or salmon, twice a week, is good  because they heart-healthy and may protect the brain against concussion, says sports nutritionist Nancy Clark.

 

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Until recently, says Edward Feldman, DC, treatment options for post-concussion syndrome were "fairly limited" except for rest and pain medication. Now, he says, new therapies, such as craniosacral therapy and the Feldenkrais Method, offer hope to some patients for a full, or near complete, recovery from traumatic brain injury such as concussion. 

Other Dr. Feldman videos on MomsTeam:

Concussion Recovery: Craniosacral Therapy and Feldenkrais Method May Help