Project Description
Back In Balance Clinic is now an official Complete Concussion Management™ clinic. Concussions have been in the news quite a bit over the past few years due to their potential to have severe and long-term impacts. As a result, professional and amateur athletes around the world have begun to seek out the best and most up-to-date treatment for concussion. Back In Balance Clinic will is at the cutting-edge of concussion diagnosis, management, and rehabilitation with this collaboration by utilizing a comprehensive, multi-modal approach to concussions, based on current advances in concussion research.
What is a concussion?
Concussions often occur after a significant impact to the head or elsewhere in the body. They are common during impact sports, such has hockey or football – but can occur during any activity where there is rapid acceleration or deceleration of the head or body. Concussions cause a disruption in the how the nerves within the brain function creating a biochemical (or energy) imbalance within brain cells as well as decreased blood flow and temporary energy deficits within the brain.
If a concussion is suspected, a player should be immediately removed from play, assessed and placed on complete rest in order to recover from the energy deficit as quickly as possible. Studies have shown that whatever the activity may be, either mental or physical, it should be avoided at least for the first few days following the concussion as that could delay his or her recovery. It is best to postpone the activity as long as the athlete is still experiencing some symptoms. However, even when symptoms have disappeared, there are still metabolic changes happening in the brain that might not be apparent. This is why it is so important to get things looked at and treated promptly.
What is baseline testing?
One of the biggest concerns concussions pose is the energy deficit that occurs in the brain following injury. When there is low energy balance in the brain, it is extremely vulnerable to additional trauma, meaning even the smallest impacts can lead to another concussion. These secondary concussions can be just as or more severe than the original, and can cause severe brain injury with potentially long-term or fatal outcomes.
Concussions can be tricky. Symptoms (or how you feel) do not coincide with brain recovery which means there is a “vulnerable period” in concussion recovery. So while an athlete or individual may feel great physically, the brain is still healing and undergoing changes from the injury. The only way to know whether the brain has fully recovered from this “vulnerable period” or not, is to compare current brain function to when the brain was healthy; this is what is known as a “baseline test”.
A baseline test is consisted of several tests that aim to measure every area of brain function that could possibly be affected by a concussion. More than just computer tests are needed. The test is termed a “baseline” because it is done BEFORE the athlete gets injured. In order to know when an athlete has fully recovered, we first have to know where they were when they were healthy. Without this information, it is impossible to truly know when an athlete has completely recovered and is safe to play their sport again.
Complete Concussion Management™:
Complete Concussion Management™ is a concussion research company that educates healthcare practitioners on the most current medical research relating to concussion therapies and management strategies. The goal is to provide the highest quality of concussion treatment and follow-up.
Certified Complete Concussion Management™ practitioners, like those at Back In Balance Clinic, are communicated up-to-date research and treatments in order to manage these injuries properly and safely to ensure adequate recovery, thereby limiting the risk of further injury and long-term brain damage.
Services Include:
- Comprehensive baseline testing
- Post-injury diagnosis and injury management
- Concussion rehabilitation for Post-Concussion Syndrome
- Coach & trainer education and certification programs (online)
- Concussion Tracker Smartphone application
The CCMI Network:
Complete Concussion Management™ is the most expansive network of specialized concussion clinics in Canada. Athletes tested through our program have preferential access to any CCMI certified clinic across the country. All of these clinics have undergone the same training. They are conducting the same tests and also using the exact same equipment. This means that if you are baseline tested in your town and you are out of town for a tournament and you get a possible concussion, you can walk into another affiliated clinic to be tested and compared against YOUR OWN baseline!
Concussion Tracker Smartphone Application
Athletes and concussed patients can log in to view their baseline test results as well as receive rehabilitation exercises, diet plans, and other recovery tips to help them along the way. The app also allows the injured patient (or their parents) to have around the clock communication with the treating clinician as well as provide an update on their symptoms and progress every single day – all from your phone!
Visit www.completeconcussions.com/clinical-services/concussion-tracker