Your middle daughter took a hit at soccer two weekends ago, resulting in a trip to the hospital. She has a concussion and will be out of sports, show choir, and school for awhile. Trying to keep her calm, quiet, and rested will be a full time job for the rest of the family.
Following the doctor’s advice for most of 10 days, this more than bored daughter was thrilled when she received the news that she could at least get back to attending school.
Unfortunately, after just three days back in the classroom, she has had a setback in her concussion recovery. She went back to school this week and she pushed herself too hard. She missed all last week and given that her school is on block scheduling those five days were like missing 10 days of school. Her teachers and the nurse at the school have been so amazing. Your determined girl, however, just pushed too hard to get caught up.
You are so thankful for a family friend who recommended that you seek out a concussion evaluation at one of the best clinics in the state. The therapists at this clinic were absolutely fantastic. Your daughter is having some hand tremors and the physical therapist thinks it is from a nerve in her neck when she took the fall. It is an injury that is typically found in car accidents, this whiplash is likely complicating her recovery efforts.
She is going remote the next few days with lots of breaks. And thankfully the school already had this option in place thanks to the Covid 19 pandemic. You are hopeful that fall break will give her brain the rest she needs. She realizes that soccer is done for the season and show choir for right now. you have a very sad girl and the rest of the family will continue to do what you can to help her make it though these challenges.
As a family with three athletic girls, you have dealt with functional assessment equipment, physical therapy tools, and various kinds of range of motion testing solutions following accidents, but this concussion protocol is something new.
Staying Healthy as an Athlete Is Not Easy
Whether you are the parent of an athlete or an athlete yourself, you likely know the role that injuries play in these activities. And whether you are dealing with a very limiting concussion protocol or a severely sprained ankle, it is important that you get the best advice available. Fortunately, if you ask the right questions and look to the people with the most experience, you can find the help that will allow you or your loved one to return to normal activity sooner rather than later. Functional assessment equipment used by physical therapists and chiropractors allow many athletes to recover faster than if they were trying to rehab on their own. Unfortunately, when it comes to concussions there is often no substitute for time and patience.
Most parents realize, however, that when you are dealing with a concussion, following the protocols is even more important than following the advice of a rehabilitation therapist.Physical injuries are difficult enough, but a concussion can lead to much bigger problems in the future if it is not handled correctly. And while functional assessment equipment often provides a clear cut black and white list of possible exercises, the recovery from a concussion often needs to be dealt with on a more individual level.
And even chronic pain conditions that can seem very limiting often fall far short when compared to the need for long extended periods of rest and relaxation following a concussion. It may be easier to understand the functional assessment equipment that is used in a physical therapist’s office, but it is no less important to make sure that you find a way to understand the reason for the recommendations of a doctor who is advising you on a concussion recovery process.
The human body has more than 650 muscles, but most people acknowledge that these muscles pale in comparison to the functions provided by the brain. And while each foot on the human body is made up of 28 bones, 30 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments, you only have one brain.