Concussion Treatment

Head Injury Rehabilitation

Concussions are a form of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body resulting in bouncing and twisting of the brain within the skull. This interruption of brain function occurs due to chemical and energy changes inside the brain that will not appear on MRI’s or CT scans.

It is important to note that not all concussions require treatment. In many cases, the symptoms will resolve on their own within one to two weeks. However, it is important to have a concussion monitored by a medical professional who can appropriately modify your physical and mental activities.

After sustaining a head injury, be on the lookout for the following physical and cognitive symptoms:

• Headache
• Balance problems
• Dizziness
• Sensitivity to noise or light
• Vertigo
• Fatigue or low energy
• Slurred speech
• Issues with memory
• Feeling sluggish, foggy, or hazy
• Blurred or double vision
• Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly

At Allied Services, we provide rehabilitation services for patients who have experienced concussions whether it is related to sports, a fall, motor vehicle accidents, or even work-related accidents. Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy can help patients recover their balance, concentration, memory, and gait– all of which may be affected after a concussion.

How can Therapy help if I have a Concussion?

On your first day your therapist will complete an initial assessment to create a personalized program that addresses your specific symptoms. Utilizing this approach, our therapy team will ensure you receive the proper intensity at the right time in your rehab process.

• Physical Therapy: After a concussion, you may experience physical symptoms that impact your ability to participate in your daily activities. Dizziness, headaches, neck pain, and feeling off balance or unsteady are some of the more common symptoms. Our expert therapists will educate you about how to manage your symptoms at home and in the community. During your sessions, our physical therapists will monitor your vital signs and responses to ensure your therapy is most effective. With the use of cutting edge technology, our Physical Therapists may incorporate vestibular therapy into your program if you have vestibular symptoms.
• Occupational Therapy: Following concussion, patients may experience impairments related to vision. If these visual impairments are left untreated, they can prolong concussion recovery. Our Occupational Therapists provide vision therapy and visual-vestibular rehabilitation to treat concussion-related vision issues. The goal is to improve visual comfort, ease, and efficiency for daily life activities. We also focus on improving visual processing and interpretation of visual information. If necessary they may partner with an Optometrist for more specialized care.
• Speech Therapy: Speech Language Pathologists assess and treat deficits in the areas of speech, language, cognition, swallowing, fluency and voice. After a concussion, patients may experience difficulty with understanding and processing information in everyday settings. Patients may exhibit difficulty with word finding, organizational skills, and multitasking. The patient may also present with changes in voice, slurred speech, swallowing difficulties, and dysfluency of speech may be present in patients with a concussion. Our Speech Language Pathologists are trained to provide quality treatment and will create a plan of care to improve your communication skills to get you back to your previous level of function.
• One of the first things you will need to do with your care provider is to undergo an initial assessment. Concussions can have a myriad of effects, not all of which will be obvious. Every patient’s care plan will be personalized based on the results of this assessment. This is a critical step to making a full recovery after a concussion.
• Interactive Therapy:We offer interactive touch screen therapy devices to improve hand-eye coordination, reaction time, balance, and working memory for patients with a variety of neurological conditions, including concussions. By playing interactive programs and taking assessments, patients are able to improve their coordination and brain function in an engaging, fun way.

Student-Athletes

One of the main goals of our therapy team is to assist with your return to school and sports. Although it is important to undergo relative rest in the very early stages of a concussion, returning to normal daily tasks is encouraged. Your therapists will conduct exertional and cognitive testing. This will assist your physician to decide when it's best for you to return to specific activities.

Post Concussive Syndrome

The majority of patients reach full neurologic recovery within 1-2 weeks. However, 15-20% may have persistent signs and symptoms beyond 3 weeks known as Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS). Even with prolonged symptoms, many individuals can experience relief from symptoms with an individualized therapy program.

Don’t wait, Contact Allied Services Integrated Health System for more information about our concussion rehabilitation program.

For specific questions on how to obtain a referral, please call 570-826-3900(Wilkes-Barre) or 570-348-1360(Scranton). Contact us to learn more or start your referral processtoday.