The number of estimated sports-related concussion cases in the U.S. ranges from 1.6 – 3.8 million each year. This statistic calculates that 10% of sport-related concussions are reported or brought to the emergency room. The remaining 90% of concussions are not reported.
The Expert
Emergency rooms across the nation are reporting increased incidents in sports-related concussions. But these are only the ‘reported’ cases. In my practice, I’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of patients reporting sports-related concussions in the last 10 years.
I believe this is due partly to increased awareness, other factors like more aggressive playing and more athletes. But we’re also seeing a cultural shift to avoid ignoring symptoms, protecting the athlete’s future instead of just saying ‘walk it off.’
SCIENCE
Like muscle sprains, concussions vary in severity, from mild to moderate to severe. Considered a mild traumatic brain injury, a concussion can last hours, days, or even weeks. If the symptoms of a concussion continue beyond a week or two, the severity may increase to post-concussion syndrome or even mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Resting alone may not be enough and can actually lead long-term negative consequences.
HEALTH RISKS
A concussion is most serious when a second concussion is sustained to an already injured brain, before the trauma has completely recovered. This second-impact syndrome is noted by a sudden swelling of the brain, which can exacerbate the previous injury and even prove to be fatal.
MITIGATION
Until recently, coaches felt the most pressure to be responsible for the athlete’s condition. The responsibility should be assumed by everyone involved, from parents to coaches to the athletes themselves.
Implementing the XLNTBrain Concussion Management Program helps safely guide athletes back to gameplay after a concussion has been sustained.
Delivered online and through a mobile app,
Concussion Education: Online video training that comply with state-wide regulations about causes, symptoms of concussion and importance of correct concussion treatment.
Baseline Testing: A balance and web-based neuro-cognitive test developed by XLNTBrain LLC before the start of the season to create a baseline measurement of reaction time, attention, inhibition, impulsivity, memory, information processing efficiency, and executive function. The test also assesses mood, anxiety, stress and emotionality, a major distinguishing factor from all other sports concussion tools currently on the market. The results are then compared with the largest normative database of all these measures.
Sideline Assessment Mobile App: Using a smartphone or tablet, concussion coordinators can now performs a series of sideline assessments, compare with baseline results, document the severity of concussion, guide on-the-field decision making regarding treatment and recovery time and report results via email to all-interested parties, including parents, coaches, training staff and medical professional for further evaluation.
Testimonials
Discover How XLNTBrain Makes a Difference in Athlete Safety
“Now I can monitor their concussion-related scores throughout our time together. This information helps me make an informed, clinical decisions about returning the player to the field, as fast as possible and safe as possible.”
“You can actually understand what you’re looking at — it’s easy to administer, and it provides a step-by-step recovery assistance plan with daily symptom tracking which gives us data to help make a decision about their condition to play or practice.”
“Now I can monitor their concussion-related scores throughout our time together. This information helps me make an informed, clinical decisions about returning the player to the field, as fast as possible and safe as possible.”
“You can actually understand what you’re looking at — it’s easy to administer, and it provides a step-by-step recovery assistance plan with daily symptom tracking which gives us data to help make a decision about their condition to play or practice.”
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