Concussion Management: A Comprehensive Evidence-Based Approach for the Physical Therapist

Course overview

This intermediate course is designed for practicing physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who work with individuals with acute and chronic concussion. This course will be most beneficial for the clinician who has a basic knowledge of concussion and concussion management, but has not recently reviewed the current literature in concussion care that includes the significant changes in the classification of concussion and the approach to diagnosis that considers the complexity of concussion and the need for individualized patient- centered care. Many clinicians tend to have a stronger background in one element of concussion management, such as the neurologic physical therapist/physical therapist assistant who works with vestibular disorders, or the orthopedic specialist who works more with cervicogenic disorders. Gaps in knowledge that have been identified in physical therapy practice include the role of neuroimaging in concussion, the understanding of current guidelines and definitions of concussion, identification and design of interventions based on individual examination results, and the prescription of individualized graded return to activity and sport (Yorke, Littleton, & Alsalaheen, 2016). This course will provide a more comprehensive evidenced-based understanding of the complex nature of concussion including the pathophysiology of concussion; the physiologic, cervicogenic, and vestibulo-ocular dysfunction that may result; the current suggested classification methods; an understanding of the shift in recommended timelines for rest and return to activity; and the tools necessary for evidenced-based examination and treatment.