Concussion
Concussion
What is a concussion?
A concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a brain injury that occurs when force is transmitted to the brain causing it to move quickly within the skull. This sudden movement causes a disruption in how parts of the brain communicate and results in a variety of symptoms. Concussions usually occur from a direct blow to the head, but can also occur when a hit or blow to the body transmits a force to the head causing the brain to violently move back and forth inside the skull. Although a concussion by itself is not life threatening, it is a serious injury that should be treated by experts in concussion care.
Appointment Information
To request an appointment or to get more information, please call 734-615-7246 and a team member will get back to you within two business days.
NeuroSport Concussion Care
The U-M NeuroSport Concussion Care is one of the few comprehensive programs in the country dedicated to the neurological concerns of athletes.
What are the symptoms of a concussion?
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Balance problems
- Dizziness
- Visual problems
- Fatigue
- Sensitivity to light
- Sensitivity to noise
- Numbness/tingling
- Feeling mentally foggy
- Feeling slowed down
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty remembering
- Irritability or moodiness
- Sadness
- Decreased interest in hobbies
- Nervousness
- Drowsiness
- Sleeping less than usual
- Sleeping more than usual
- Trouble falling asleep
Red Flag Symptoms: When to go to the ER
Seek immediate medical attention or call 911 if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Loss of consciousness for more than one minute
- Increasing confusion or inability to stay awake
- Repetitive vomiting
- Seizure or convulsion
- Severe or increasing headache
- Severe neck pain
- Weakness, tingling, or burning in arms or legs
- Persistent double vision or loss of vision
- Increasingly restless, agitated, or combative
Family members should monitor the patient closely for any of these “red flag” signs or symptoms. Bring the patient back to the ER immediately if you see any of the above symptoms.
How is concussion diagnosed?
A physical exam and careful history are the best ways to diagnose a concussion. Your doctor may or may not need to perform imaging to rule out more serious injuries, such as bleeding in the brain or skull fractures. Concussions cannot be seen or diagnosed on imaging (X-rays, CT or CAT scans, MRIs), or diagnosed by a blood test.
How is concussion treated?
Recovery from concussion is a complex and dynamic process. During recovery it is critical to identify the factors responsible for symptoms and to develop a treatment plan targeting them. If recovery is not properly managed it can lead to unnecessarily prolonged recovery. Management of recovery should be individualized and directed by a healthcare provider with expertise in concussion care who has ready accesses to treatment resources.
There are three phases of concussion recovery:
- Acute Symptomatic
- Recovery
- Recovered
Brain Injury Rehabilitation
The goal of the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program is to provide excellent evidence-based rehabilitation care as a unified treatment team. We believe patients and their families should have access to the gold standard of brain injury care with a patient and family systems-centered, transdisciplinary team approach.
Expert, Compassionate Care Across the Recovery Continuum
For hospitalized patients, we provide care through a structured, comprehensive program for patients with moderate to severe TBI or other acquired brain injury, including disorders of consciousness. This program offers inpatient services in the acute care and post-acute inpatient rehabilitation settings, including physicians with expertise in brain injury medicine, physical therapies and occupational therapies, cognitive rehabilitation and other speech-language therapy services, neuropsychological assessment, rehabilitation psychotherapy, recreational therapy, social work and case manager support, and family training and education that is tailored to each patient and family.
When indicated, patients can then transition to our outpatient neurorehabilitation center, MedRehab. Our outpatient center offers all of the services listed above, with a focus on maximizing patient independence and achieving person-centered goals in the post-acute phase of recovery. Our specialized services also include driving therapy and on-road driving assessment, cognitive therapy emphasizing development of compensatory strategies, ongoing neuropsychology and rehabilitation psychotherapy to inform treatment goals and aid with adjustment to life changes, and initiation of vocational planning for returning to work or other meaningful daily activities.
Our Philosophy
We emphasize moving our patients quickly and efficiently through the system of care, as well as keeping them physically moving and cognitively active. Our approach emphasizes patient empowerment and self-management. Patients are expected to engage collaboratively with their therapists in person-centered goal-setting with a universal emphasis on follow-through and problem solving.
Patients’ needs are considered from the biopsychosocial model when managing and optimizing recovery from TBI; that is, we focus on function from the patient’s and family’s point of view. Knowing our patients and their care partners as individuals and families is critical in establishing what the functional goals of treatment will be, whether it’s returning to work, returning to driving, playing with grandchildren, or living independently. Our providers focus on each patient’s values with an emphasis on teaching long-term behavioral management strategies.
For patients who have experienced mild TBI (concussion) we offer an evidence-based, time-limited comprehensive recovery program designed to get a patient’s recovery on track, or back on track, quickly. For those with recent experience of concussion, our acute concussion clinic provides a comprehensive educational session. This includes an explanation of the science behind concussion recovery, as well as dispels several common myths about concussion, and provides evidence-based recommendations about how to reengage in activities, and coping strategies for managing acute symptoms in a way that allows the patient to get back to everyday life.
For those whose injuries occurred more than six months ago, our program includes a six-week group intervention with more in-depth exploration of strategies to optimize functioning and improve mood. This includes consults with our physiatrists, and options for focused, time-limited therapies to optimize functional cognition and improve symptom management for pain, balance, and sensory issues. As with our inpatient program, our concussion programs focus on evidence-based, patient-centered care with an emphasis on patient values, patient-specific goals, and optimizing functional outcomes.
Locations
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NeuroSport Clinic | Brighton Center for Specialty Care 7500 Challis Rd
Entrance 1 Level 1
Brighton, MI 48116-9416Get Directions -
NeuroSport Clinic | Burlington Office Center 325 E Eisenhower Pkwy Ste 100
Ann Arbor, MI 48108-3364Get Directions -
Neurosurgery Clinic | Taubman Center 1500 E Medical Center Dr
Floor 2 Reception G
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5338Get Directions
Doctors
James Travis Eckner, MD
Associate Professor
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Electrodiagnostic Medicine
Ingrid Karen Ichesco, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Sports Medicine, Pediatrics
Matthew Thomas Lorincz, MD, PHD
Clinical Professor
Neurology
Michael James Popovich, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Neurology
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