Dr. Steven Murray is a proud provider of the Complete Concussion Management Inc.™ (CCMI) Partnership Program - a network of clinics around the world offering evidence-based concussion care.
From initial pre-season baseline testing to concussion treatment and rehabilitation, as partnered CCMI practitioners, we collaborate with primary care physicians to co-manage concussions, helping patients and athletes safely return to learn, work and play.
What is a concussion?
A concussion is a brain injury caused by acceleration or deceleration of the brain within the skull following a significant impact to the head or elsewhere on the body. The impact causes a biochemical imbalance within the brain cells, resulting in decreased blood flow and temporary energy deficits within the brain. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness, headache, pressure in the head, neck pain, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, or balance problems, among others.
In conjunction with CCMI, Dr. Murray offers concussion treatment services & strategies including:
Exertional testing for return-to-sport readiness and sub-symptom threshold exercise programs for persistent symptoms
Vestibular, oculomotor, and cervical spine treatment and rehabilitation
Balance, reaction time, visual processing, and neurocognitive testing (pre-season baseline and post- concussion return to sport testing)
Educational resources
How do I know if I have sustained a concussion?
Concussions occur after an acceleration or deceleration injury of the brain. This can occur anytime there is a forceful impact to your head, neck or body. Signs and symptoms that you may experience that indicate the presence of a concussion include loss of consciousness, headache, pressure in the head, neck pain, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, or balance problems, among others. Common injuries that can lead to concussions include sports collisions, body contact during sports, slips and falls, workplace accidents and motor vehicle collisions.
You only need to have one symptom post-impact to have sustained a suspected concussion.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to have lost consciousness to have sustained a concussion. In fact, most people who sustain a concussion do not lose consciousness at the time of the injury. Another myth around concussions is that you need to be struck in the head in order to sustain a concussion. That is also not true as impacts to the body can be forceful enough to accelerate your brain within your skull and lead to a concussion.
Pre-season testing
Multimodal pre-season testing is a series of physical and cognitive tests that provides a pre-injury overview of healthy brain function. These tests can offer healthcare practitioners with an objective benchmark on which to compare should a patient sustain a concussion. It’s important to remember that not all baseline testing is created equal. CCMI has selected the best evidence-based tools available to provide you with comprehensive, multimodal, proven baseline-testing.
As concussion symptoms often disappear days to weeks before the brain has recovered, having valuable baseline information may help practitioners to make safer return to play decisions.
Contact us to learn more about baseline testing to see if it’s right for you.
How are concussions treated?
The most important think that you can do if you suspect that you have sustained a concussion is to visit a healthcare practitioner with the expertise in diagnosing and managing a concussion. This will make sure that you receive the proper course of treatment and will greatly reduce your risk of having prolonged concussion symptoms.
During the early stage following injury, a period of relative symptom limited physical and cognitive rest is recommended. Research suggests 24 to 48 hours, however, these decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
Following a short period of rest, the International Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport (2016) recommends a gradual increase in mental and physical activity as supervised by a licensed healthcare practitioner trained in concussion management. If symptoms persist, then the inclusion of other rehabilitation and treatment techniques is recommended.
Before undergoing any treatments for concussion, please make sure that you are assessed by a licensed healthcare practitioner.
