At Accelerate we just completed our Complete Concussion Management certification as a clinic. This is an important step for us to be able to assess and treat concussions. As clinic with an interest in sports, this is a very important skill to possess and one that we don’t take lightly. According to the latest research, it’s estimated that 10% of athletes playing contact sports suffer a concussion with a full 50% of them going unreported. Those are headache inducingly high numbers.
I took a lot away from the course, but I think what stuck with me most is the introduction of the term mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) to define concussion. I believe calling them concussions takes away from the nature of what’s occurred. I think we hear concussion and, unfortunately, the social context takes over. Whether that’s the old, “she’ll be right with a schooner after the match” or the newly minted fear of crippling disability post concussion, we’ve been told conflicting ideas of what a concussion entails. Neither of these narratives are correct and both can be devastatingly harmful.
I like mTBI. I think it encapsulates nicely what’s occurred and offers a better insight into the prognosis post injury. Let’s break it down:
Mild- Well that’s a relief
Traumatic- Yeah, well that makes sense too
Brain- This seems pretty self-explanatory
Injury- Now we get to the crux of the issue. This is just an injury and injuries happen. Sure, it’s happening to the most important structure in the body, but injuries heal. You don’t roll your ankle and immediately pack it in and give up on whatever you were doing. With appropriate management, your brain will heal, much like a sprained ankle. The more diligent you are with rehab and following the protocol, the better your chances at making a full recovery.
So, let’s call these injuries what they are, mTBI’s, and approach them the same way we do other parts of the body. If you suspect you’ve had an mTBI please see a qualified health professional for your rehab, sooner rather than later. At Accelerate we pride ourselves on approaching every injury with an evidence-based focus and giving you the most up to date information regarding your situation, the brain not excluded.
-Elliot Rechtin
MPhysio
Accelerate Physiotherapy