Advanced Concussion Care Across the Okanagan Region
Advanced Concussion Care Across the Okanagan Region
Understanding Concussions: Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis
Understanding Concussions:
Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis
Common Concussion Causes:
Car Accidents/Post Motor Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle accidents can lead to concussions, making treatment by a trusted provider essential. Patients can access care within 90 days without needing pre-approval.
Contact Sports-Related
Ski/Snow Sports
Winter sports are a favourite pastime in the Okanagan region, but they come with the risk of head injuries. Our expert team is here to ensure a swift and effective recovery.
Trip and Fall
Recognizing Concussion Symptoms
- Headaches or migraines
- Balance problems
- Blurred vision
- Trouble focusing or remembering
- Light and noise sensitivity
- Mood swings (irritability or depression)
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dazed appearance
- Slow to respond
- Confusion
- Memory lapses
- Temporary unconsciousness
- Clumsy movements
- Behavioural or personality shifts
- Uncertainty about surroundings
Assessing Concussion Severity: Effective Techniques
- Equilibrium Assessment
- Hematology Analysis
- Digital Brain Function Evaluation
- CT Scans
- On-Field Assessment
- MRI Scans
- Brain and Mind Function Exams
- Health Checkup
Quality Care for Concussion Recovery
What is Kinesiology?
Kinesiology is the clinical science of human movement, performance, and function. It applies the latest evidence-based research to improve health, fitness, and physical activity.
How Does Kinesiology Help Concussion Recovery?
Concussions can cause physical symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and coordination issues, affecting daily life and well-being. Kinesiology provides a valuable approach to managing these issues. Targeted exercises and movements can alleviate symptoms, improve balance, and aid recovery, helping individuals regain normal functioning more effectively.
What Concussion Care Kelowna’s Kinesiologists Offer
Preparation
and Rehabilitation
Assessment
Preparation
Return to Work/Play Preparation:Threshold testing is conducted to ascertain exercise limitations, providing a foundational starting point for gradually enhancing activity tolerance. This comprehensive approach enables our patients to safely return to more intense activities while promoting a quicker overall recovery process and alleviation of symptoms. By understanding individual thresholds, we can tailor rehabilitation programs that improve physical endurance and enhance our patient’s overall quality of life.
and Rehabilitation
Direct stimulation of the muscles using a dry needle (without a syringe) can induce reflexive relaxation, significantly enhancing the muscles’ recovery process. This technique boosts blood flow to the injured area, improving oxygenation levels and encouraging faster healing. As a result, it can effectively reduce inflammatory pain, promote overall muscle health, and aid in quicker rehabilitation.
Assessment
We offer hands-on treatment for muscular or joint injuries of the head, neck, back, or shoulder following a concussion. Our manual therapy approach not only alleviates acute pain but also enhances the effectiveness of concussion rehabilitation, enabling patients to achieve a more complete recovery. We help you regain strength and mobility by addressing these issues, ensuring a smoother healing process.
What Concussion Care Kelowna’s Kinesiologists Offer
What is Physiotherapy?
How Does Physiotherapy Help Concussion Recovery?
What Concussion Care Kelowna’s Physiotherapists Offer
Stimulation Treatment
Investigating eye performance and inner ear function is crucial to understanding their impact on concussion recovery. Injuries in these areas can significantly impair a patient’s abilities, reducing their capacity to read, drive, and navigate busy environments such as grocery shopping. Thorough research in these areas can improve recovery strategies and enhance patients’ quality of life by restoring these essential daily functions.
Stimulation Treatment
Direct stimulation of the muscles using a dry needle (without a syringe) can induce reflexive relaxation, significantly enhancing the muscles’ recovery process. This technique boosts blood flow to the injured area, improving oxygenation levels and encouraging faster healing. As a result, it can effectively reduce inflammatory pain, promote overall muscle health, and aid in quicker rehabilitation.
We offer hands-on treatment for muscular or joint injuries of the head, neck, back, or shoulder following a concussion. Our manual therapy approach not only alleviates acute pain but also enhances the effectiveness of concussion rehabilitation, enabling patients to achieve a more complete recovery. We help you regain strength and mobility by addressing these issues, ensuring a smoother healing process.
Evaluating balance is crucial to ensuring a safe return to household activities, outdoor adventures, and sports. Effective fall prevention and reduction strategies not only decrease the risk of future concussions but also significantly enhance a patient’s quality of life. By prioritizing balance assessment, we can promote safety and well-being in various aspects of daily living.
What Concussion Care Kelowna’s Physiotherapists Offer
What is Neurology?
Neurology is the arm of medicine that studies and treats disorders of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles.
How Does Neurology Help Concussion Recovery?
Concussions can impact brain function, affecting memory, attention, mood, and more. These injuries lead to symptoms that disrupt daily life and well-being. Neurologists and brain specialists diagnose and treat these issues, creating tailored plans to aid recovery and support individuals towards full recovery.
What Concussion Care Kelowna’s Neurologists Offer
One of the primary symptoms following a concussion is the disruption of normal sleep patterns. However, adequate sleep is also one of the most crucial components of recovery from a concussion. Utilizing evidence-based treatments to improve sleep quality and enhance the brain’s capability to recover from injury and acquire new skills is vital. This comprehensive approach to treatment aids in aligning the sleep cycle with the brain’s healing process, facilitating optimal recovery and rehabilitation.
A comprehensive neurological assessment is crucial following a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury to thoroughly evaluate the impacts on cognition, headache, mental health, and sleep. These assessments play a critical role in understanding the injury’s extent and formulating an effective treatment plan. By providing detailed insights, neurology assessments offer significant support for patients suffering from concussions, aiding in their recovery and helping to mitigate longer-term effects.
What Concussion Care Kelowna’s Neurologists Offer
Sleep Disturbances TreatmentWhat are Sleep Disturbances?
Sleep disturbances are changes in sleep patterns or habits that affect sleep quality, quantity, or timing. These include difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or feeling unrested after a night’s rest.
How are Sleep Disorders Identified?
- Trouble falling or remaining asleep
- Feeling tired during the day
- Intense need to nap throughout the day
- Irregular breathing during sleep
- Strange or uncomfortable impulses to move before sleeping
- Odd movements or experiences during sleep
- Unplanned shifts in your sleep/wake routine
- Moodiness or nervousness
- Reduced effectiveness at work or school
- Difficulty focusing
- Feeling depressed
- Gaining weight
Approaches to Treating Sleep Disorders
Education
Counselling
Prevention
Our team conducts a thorough assessment to determine the root factors behind your sleep disturbance, whether it be stress, pain, or another condition.
We use various diagnostic tools, including polysomnography (PSG), actigraphy (ACT), and overnight oximetry, to gather data on your sleep patterns and disturbances.
Based on your assessment and diagnostics, we create a personalized treatment plan to address the cause of your sleep disturbance. Our team employs evidence-based techniques like CBT-I and relaxation methods to enhance sleep quality.
Education
We also provide education on the importance of sleep hygiene and how to add healthy habits into your daily routine to promote better sleep.
Counselling
Our team provides counselling and support for individuals struggling with sleep disturbances, taking the time to treat any underlying mental health issues that may be contributing to their condition.
Prevention
We also focus on preventing future sleep disturbances through education, stress management techniques, and the implementation of healthy sleep habits.
Approaches to Treating Sleep Disorders
What is Clinical Counselling?
-
Sleep problems like insomnia or hypersomnia
These can include problems falling or staying asleep, excessive sleepiness during the day, and changes in sleep patterns. - Emotional symptoms such as mood disorders, irritability, anxiety, and depression
Concussions can impact brain function and lead to changes in mood, behaviour, and emotions. - Cognitive symptoms such as confusion, poor concentration, and memory problems
Concussions can affect cognitive abilities, making it challenging to focus, remember information, and think clearly. -
Behaviour changes, including irritability, aggression, or withdrawal
Changes in behaviour may be a sign of a concussion and may require treatment. -
Weight changes
Concussions can also significantly impact appetite, leading to noticeable weight gain or loss depending on the individual’s response to the injury.
How Clinical Counselling Can Help
Current Mental Health
Status
Options
Current Mental Health
Status
Clinical counselling can help assess the individual’s mental health state and provide insight into any underlying issues that may be present.
Options
A clinical counsellor can discuss different treatment options, such as talk therapy and medication, tailored to the individual’s needs.
Consider an Interdisciplinary Approach to Treatment Involving Other Specialists such as Neurologists and Primary Care Physicians: Collaborating with other specialists can provide a comprehensive and multi-pronged treatment plan for individuals struggling with mental health issues following a concussion.
In some cases, immediate or emergency intervention may be necessary for individuals experiencing severe mental health symptoms following a concussion. A clinical counsellor can provide information and resources in these instances.
Approaches to Treating Sleep Disorders
What is ImPACT Test?
ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is a computerized neurocognitive test designed to evaluate the effects of a concussion on cognitive function. It measures verbal and visual memory, processing speed, reaction time, and other components of brain function.
Why is ImPACT Testing Important in Diagnosing Concussions?
Concussions can be difficult to diagnose as symptoms may not always be visible or apparent during initial assessments. ImPACT testing, as a baseline test, provides objective data on cognitive function, allowing for a more accurate diagnosis and monitoring of recovery progress.
How Does Baseline Testing Help?
Baseline testing involves taking ImPACT before any concussion or brain injury occurs. This provides a benchmark for comparison in case of future concussions, allowing for a more accurate diagnosis and individualized treatment plan.
Is a Baseline Test Necessary Before a Post-Concussion Assessment?
While having a baseline test before a post-concussion assessment is unnecessary, having one can provide valuable information for diagnosis and treatment. It can also help determine when an individual has fully recovered from a concussion.
Authorized Provider of ICBC's Early Access Concussion Recovery Program
The EACR Pilot is designed to offer early interdisciplinary support and education for ICBC clients recovering from crash-related concussions.
Our Trusted Health Professionals
Medical Team
Dr. Wayne Lai
.
Dr. Sophia Capo
.
Rehab Team
Aimee Aitkens
Aldovino Rapini
Concussion Kinesiologist, BHK, BCAK, CATT
Breanna Bay
Aimee Aitkens
Aldovino Rapini
Concussion Kinesiologist, BHK, BCAK, CATT
Breanna Bay
Gerome Louie
Matthew Chin
Vinicio Delgado
Master in Sleep Medicine, BA, CCSH, RPSGT, Clinical Sleep Educator
Gerome Louie
Matthew Chin
Vinicio Delgado
Master in Sleep Medicine, BA, CCSH, RPSGT, Clinical Sleep Educator
Will Shantz
Will Shantz
Family Physician
Dr. Franchoi
Dr. Amor
Eliminate Discomfort, Embrace Pain-Free Living
Multidisciplinary Approach
We offer professional techniques for optimal recovery from diagnosis to treatment and rehabilitation. Unlike traditional concussion treatments, our unique approach integrates neurocognitive therapy, mental health support, and physical rehabilitation to ensure the most effective recovery experience.
Expert, Experienced, and Passionate Practitioners
With over ten years in business, our licensed, experienced, and knowledgeable staff members and practitioners have a personal connection to concussions and brain injuries. We are driven to learn and support others with compassion.
Client-Centered Care
Concussions impact not just the individual but also their caretakers, family, coaches, and teammates. Our diverse team provides comprehensive support and education to assist everyone affected.
Eliminate Discomfort, Embrace Pain-Free Living
Multidisciplinary Approach
Expert, Experienced, and Passionate Practitioners
Client-Centered Care
Operation Hours
Monday – Thursday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Testimonials that Speak Volumes
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