Concussion Definition and Symptoms

Concussions, also known as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), are caused by the acceleration and deceleration of the brain in the skull. Concussions can be caused by both external forces hitting the skull (ie. head to head collisions), as well as whiplash injuries that cause the head to move rapidly with or without an external blow to the head.

Suffering from a concussion can be a very scary time in an individual's life. Symptoms can range from mild headaches for a few days to severe memory disturbances, fatigue, balance problems, neck pain, and a range of other issues for months at a time.

At Alpine Physical Therapy we treat post-concussion symptoms in a holistic way. This includes a deep dive into vestibular/ocular function, cervical pain and mobility limitations, nutrition, hormone disturbances and cardiovascular components that can lead to various ailments after a concussion.

Our concussion specialist, Kira Kamrud, DPT, is trained through the Complete Concussion Management (CCMI) course, focusing on proper assessment and treatment of concussion and related sequela.

Assessment

Though every assessment and treatment will look different for each individual who sustains a concussion, a general assessment will include:

• Individual’s medical history and nutrition
  
• Head and neck assessment to rule out any red flags that may signify a referral for imaging.
  
• Vestibular and ocular (ear and eye) function. Symptoms related to these systems include dizziness, headache, double vision and ringing in the ears.
  
• Balance and reaction time.
  

Treatment

Treatment will coincide with the assessment findings and will focus on rehabilitating the brain for the quickest, but safest recovery possible. Treatments are individualized and may include:

• Exercises and manual treatments for the head and neck
  
• Balance training
  
• Reaction time training
  
• Student athletes will be given information on returning to school and sports
  
• All athletes will undergo sport specific drills that retrain the brain to the fast paced nature of athletics
  

Baseline Testing For Athletes

Alpine Physical Therapy also offers affordable annual baseline testing in office for individuals and athletes in the Missoula community. Each baseline test also comes with a discounted assessment and follow up should a concussion occur.

Baseline testing informs us how an athlete behaves when they are healthy. We assess various components of health including balance, vestibular and ocular function as well as memory, concentration and reaction time in order to establish your baseline. Each athlete is given their individual testing form and encouraged to keep a digital copy on them or give to coaches to be used if an injury happens at an away game or tournament.

Alpine Physical Therapy strives to be a vital component to the Missoula community with multiple sponsorships where we provide free or discounted baseline testing to athletes. If you’re interested in having your athletes screened please email Kira [email protected].

Meet Our Team

Kira Kamrud

PT, DPT

Concussion Specialist

Dr. Kira Kamrud, PT, DPT serves as Alpine’s concussion specialist and head of the Alpine Concussion Project, an initiative to improve concussion awareness and management in the Missoula valley and beyond. She works with several sports teams, including: Missoula Strikers, Missoula Youth Football, Missoula Freestyle Skiing and Missoula Mammoths to provide education on the importance of concussion awareness and safe return to sport. Kira has completed a 60+ hour concussion continuing education course from Complete Concussion Management (CCMI), completed Level 1 Functional Dry Needling Certification, and is Maitland trained in spinal mobilization & manual therapy.