There’s an important reason that baseline concussion testing is part of the health protocol for all major professional sports leagues. The tests can determine if someone has suffered a concussion, assess the status of their recovery, and assist in determining when it’s safe to return to sports, work or school. So said J.R. Justesen, a founding partner of Parkway Physiotherapy and Performance Centre in Langford.
“Concussion management should begin before the injury even occurs,” said Justesen, a former soccer player and coach. “It provides a pre-test, post-test glimpse at the different facets of recovery. The value of baseline testing is on the back end. A second concussion before recovery from the first is where disaster can occur.”
Experts agree the brain is more susceptible to a second concussion, and that less force is required for a second one to occur while a person is recovering from a first. Information gathered from baseline testing before a concussion occurs, or between concussions, can help gauge the rate of recovery.
Although one in five sports-related injuries are concussions, Justesen pointed out that car accidents, falls on slippery surfaces and everyday occurrences can cause traumatic brain injuries.
While concussion testing for adult athletes is becoming more commonplace, he believes it is just as important for children, especially those active in sports. “The NHL, NFL and the NBA all perform baseline testing, yet it is not so widely available for our children playing the same sports,” he said. “We are simply trying to bring the same level of care to kids in our community.”
Parkway recently completed free testing on nearly 50 people, mostly children as young as eight, as well as some adults. Physiotherapists also conducted a force plate balance test, tested reflex and reaction time and had participants complete questionnaires. The purpose was to also raise awareness about the subtle symptoms and impacts of traumatic brain injury, Justesen said.
When he opened the clinic 10 years ago with friends and business partners Brian Woltz and Krista Williams, the aim was to give back to the community, Justesen said.
“We wanted to create a place that intimately involved the community and pursued excellence and did some research as well,” he said.
Conducting the free baseline clinic is another way of accomplishing those goals, he added.
For more information, visit parkwayphysiotherapy.ca.
reporter@goldstreamgazette.com