Rose City Physical Therapy
Complete Concussion Management (CCMI) Certified Clinic
Rose City Physical Therapy is recognized by Complete Concussion Management Inc.™ (CCMI) and joins a network of clinics around the world offering evidence-based concussion care. From initial pre-season multimodal baseline testing to concussion treatment and rehabilitation, our partnered CCMI practitioners collaborate with primary care physicians to co-manage concussions, helping patients and athletes safely return to Learn, Work and Sport.
How Complete Concussion Management Works
Through collaboration between trained healthcare practitioners, educated coaches and trainers, and informed parents and athletes, the Complete Concussion Management system educates and empowers all those involved in sport to recognize concussions, and take the necessary steps to help an athlete safely return to sport.
What Is A Concussion?
A concussion is a brain injury caused by acceleration or deceleration of the brain within the skull following a significant impact to the head or elsewhere on the body. The impact causes a biochemical imbalance within the brain cells, resulting in decreased blood flow and temporary energy deficits within the brain. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness, headache, pressure in the head, neck pain, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, or balance problems, among others.
Concussion Treatment
Multimodal Baseline Testing
Multimodal baseline testing is a series of physical and cognitive tests that provides a pre-injury overview of healthy brain function. These tests can offer healthcare practitioners with an objective benchmark on which to compare should a patient sustain a concussion.
As concussion symptoms often disappear days to weeks before the brain has recovered, having valuable baseline information may help practitioners to make safer return to play decisions.
Book your baseline test here at Rose City Physical Therapy.
Concussion Tracker Smartphone Application
Patients can view baseline test results, find recognized CCMI clinics, learn recovery tips and receive prescribed rehab exercises through the free Concussion Tracker App. Coaches, trainers and teachers can administer an assessment of a suspected concussion, report the injury into a CCMI clinic, and track patient recovery. The app supports safe return to learn, work and sport by allowing for seamless communication between sports teams, schools, parents and healthcare practitioners.
Complete Concussion Management Network
The CCMI network of recognized clinics provides standardized, evidence-based concussion care to those impacted by, or at risk for concussion. All recognized clinics and practitioners are connected through a secure Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system, allowing access to patient medical files. Through this integrative technology, patients can be confident that they will receive consistent, quality care at any CCMI clinic location.
For more information, visit www.completeconcussions.com.
Concussion Therapy
Concussion therapy, or Post-Concussion therapy, is a highly useful tool in supporting recovery from traumatic brain injury. For most people who are injured and experience a concussion, the brain heals quickly. But for some, symptoms persist. During concussion therapy, you can expect to work with a highly experienced Portland, OR physical therapist who will evaluate the severity of your brain trauma and cervical spine injury and match you with strategies that can reduce discomfort, alleviate painful symptoms, and improve brain functionality.
All too often, it is symptoms of a concussion that lead to the greatest amount of discomfort. Physical therapy fosters a return to feeling better by restoring strength to atrophied muscles and improving the endurance of the muscles as well as brain endurance. This is achieved through a combination of muscle re-education or re-training activities and aerobics. It is important to work with a physical therapist who specializes in concussion rehab to gain guidance regarding the best activities for your body’s needs post-brain injury. Trying to go at it alone could lead to further injury. Your physical therapist will customize a strengthening program for you, as well as guide you through aerobic activity to help you regain endurance.
In addition to physical therapy exercise, additional strategies like targeted soft tissue mobilization, specific stretches, and even eye motion training and drills can help to reduce headaches and nausea following a concussion.
Physical therapy programs for concussion often incorporate vestibular therapy as this helps orient yourself during periods of lightheadedness or loss of balance. To encourage this your physical therapist will introduce you to specialized activities, including fixing your gaze at a certain point in the distance, or using simple movements to stabilize your core and limbs. With proper guidance these strategies can be incredibly helpful in improving quality of life as you recover from a concussion.
A concussion is not something you can ignore. Regardless of the perceived severity, following a brain injury it is incredibly important that you check in with a physician to ensure that there is no potential for lasting brain damage.
If you or a loved one have experienced a concussion, contact Rose City Physical Therapy at Portland, OR to learn more about concussion treatment and therapy options.