Friday Night Lights…I never watched the TV show, but I live in small town Ohio and High School Football is the heart and highlight of many small towns. I got to experience this recently as I went to watch one of my patients play. He is a senior, a quarterback, punter, and kicker, and has his eyes and heart on playing college ball. My heart was full as I watched his accuracy, athleticism, and leadership. He exuded confidence and swagger both on the field and on the sidelines. When interviewed by the local news, he exemplified humbleness and humility as he gave thanks and praise to his teammates, instead of taking credit for the win.
In the stands, his dad thanked me for helping him heal, and shared with me how his mom has less stress and worry about his health. His mom was beaming with pride not only of his on field accomplishments and potential, but also how much healthier he is.
He endured a severe concussion in the 7th grade, but not from football. He missed the foam pit high jumping, landing on the back of his head, resulting in a year of memory loss, and headaches. He went to the big town clinic for assessments, balance work, and video game type treatment designed for concussion rehab. Gradually, his brain and body healed enough for him to get back to doing well in school and sports. Until he had another concussion in football his junior year.
His trainer assessed him. He sat out 10 days. The doctor assessed him, said he was fine.
He was not.
He was struggling with his mood, he was struggling with his classes. His mom was worried and knew he needed more help. The word of our work is spreading and fortunately, she found our clinic. The word of our work is spreading and fortunately, she found our clinic.
We dove right into baseline testing and treatment. His eyes struggled to track well. His brain struggled to move the fluids in and out efficiently.
When impact comes into the body, anywhere, the forces are absorbed into the bone and underlying tissues. These forces create compression and tension which can affect the blood flow, the fluid flow critical for removing wastes from the brain and decreasing pressure, the nerve conduction, and brain tissue communication.
We are exploring and learning what our trained hands can to restore health, efficient functioning the cranium and is most precious content, the brain. Left untreated, the injured brain that struggles with pressure systems, tension, fluid dynamics, and pathway connections sets one up for the devastating diseases of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Dementia, and for some, suicide.
Fast forward 10 months. I’v had the joy of watching this boy reclaim his life. Reclaim his confidence, his academics, his athletics, and his future. He was beaming as he signed the backs of little kids’ t-shirts after the game.
We have a lot of work to do to spread the word of our work. There is hope for so many who continue to struggle with post injury symptoms that have not been addressed efficiently or effectively. Please share with your doctors, friends, family and colleagues.
Fralick M, Thiruchelvam D, Tien HC, Redelmeier DA. Risk of suicide after a concussion. CMAJ. 2016;188(7):497-504. doi:10.1503/cmaj.150790
Williams RM, Puetz TW, Giza CC, Broglio SP. Concussion recovery time among high school and collegiate athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2015;45(6):893-903. doi:10.1007/s40279-015-0325-8
Didehbani N, Munro Cullum C, Mansinghani S, Conover H, Hart J. Depressive symptoms and concussions in aging retired NFL players. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology. 2013;28(5):418–424.