It seems that I often am applauding the efforts north of the border in Canada, it really seems that they have put a concerted COMBINED effort to seek out and implement innovative ideas. I don’t think it says much about the United States other than we are all trying to do our best in our own little areas. There is little consortium or conglomeration of effort, rather “‘A’ has found this”, “‘B’ has discovered this”, “‘C’ is saying this”, etc, etc, etc…
It may be the same up north but with the population centers mainly in fewer areas in Canada it seems that the Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Vancouver areas seem to all be on the same page. This could also be because of the overall influence of the Brain Injury Association of Canada and its influence on such things.
This idea is not from the BIAC, but it has some solid foundations none the less, including our partner in concussion awareness stopconcussions.com with Kerry Goulet and Keith Priemeau at the lead. They have created a vision and group of like-minded individuals to create what they are calling Sports Concussion Care Clinic. Here it is in a press-release;
Concussion care must be all-encompassing; from education to prevention to management to research. That is why stopconcussions.com and Shift Concussion Management have join alliances to launch the SCC Concussion Care Clinic platform.
SCC believes the best way to manage concussions is as a community or village. SCC has been created to bring all the disciplines within our sport community together to help integrate the information from different professionals and solve this issue as a team. At SCC Neurologists, Neuropsychologists, doctors, chiropractors, osteopaths, athletic therapists, kineisologists, coaches, trainers, parents and players will all have an opportunity to come together in the North American village to sharing knowledge in the system. In this way, SCC will be able to provide an advanced approach to concussion awareness and management.
Formed in partnership with stopconcussions.com, (an organization founded by former Philadelphia Flyers captain, Keith Primeau, and Kerry Goulet) and the Shift Concussion Management Program, Scott Haller (MD PD UPS) SCC is set to be the leader in Complete Concussion Care. SCC has also formed alliances with several of the top experts in the world on concussions: Dr. Michelle Keightley and Nick Reed (FitMind Clinic), Dr. Salvatore Trazzera (Medical Director), Dr. Cantu, (Boston University School of Medicine) Chris Nowinski and Tim Fliescher (Sports Legacy Insitute), Dr. Andrea Lazosky (Clinical Neuropsychologist), Dr. Issac Marciano, Malcolm Sutherland (HBPHE, MSc. Kin., Ch. P.C.)
Concussions can produce a wide array of symptoms, which poses a challenge for coaches, trainers, parents, and health professionals involved in the care of an injured athlete. The time-course for recovery also varies widely from athlete to athlete, making it impossible to employ a “cookie-cutter” approach to concussion rehabilitation and return-to-play timelines.
For this reason, a growing emphasis has been placed on objective baseline testing protocols that can be used to track an athlete’s recovery and serve as a tangible “measurement” for return-to-play. The SCC Team believes this requires a multifaceted approach that moves beyond an isolated cognitive test.
That is why SCC offers a comprehensive baseline test designed to assess:
- Cognitive function (learning, memory, processing speed, accuracy)
- Balance, Coordination, and Neurological function
- Strength and Endurance Testing
SCC Baseline testers also review and document previous concussive episodes and history of concussion-like symptoms to aid in individualized post-injury assessments should they be required.
Both cognitive functioning and various aspects of physical performance are known to be affected by concussive injury. The physical component of the SCC baseline aids in post-injury comparison should the need arise. Knowing each athlete’s baseline level (strength, balance, coordination etc.) gives us important information when evaluating post-injury recovery and measuring performance throughout our physical exertion protocol.
Baseline values can vary widely from one athlete to the next, and in young developing athletes, these measures can change dramatically from year to year. It is therefore important before the start of the season to have record of each player’s baseline level of physical and cognitive functioning. Should the athlete sustain a concussion during the season, the SCC Team has the ability to compare post-injury testing to baseline values. This allows for a more accurate and objective assessment of the severity of the injury, and provides important information when making return-to-play decisions.
Our goal is to provide a high standard of care for all concussed individuals, whether elite-level competitors or recreational athletes, and to ensure a safe and appropriate return to play.
Added to the management of concussions through baseline testing and rehabilitation, SCC has created a complete sport specific training platform that will allow the athletes and their parents to prepare themselves for the season with the knowledge of prevention of the injury. With a sport psychology approach, athletes that are a part of the SCC program will be trained in the mental state of the game including pre-season, during, post and post injury.
SCC will provide on-ice and on-field clinics for non-checking and checking training along with conditioning designed to prepare for injury prevention.
For more information regarding our program, please contact us today.
Toni Miil 416-453-0739 toni@stopconcussions.com
The idea is sound and really reflect the multifaceted approach necessary to combat this injury; all the way from awareness and education through recognition to treatment and recovery as necessary. The only issue I have would be including a sleep and emotional/behavioral pre-screen as well, but it is something that I would like to see here.
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