In today’s post, we’re going to talk about 5 common misconceptions people have about concussions and why they are false.

Assumption #1: It’s Only a Concussion if you Lose Consciousness

In the world of sports, and even beyond, it is a common belief that concussions and loss of consciousness are directly linked. However, individuals do not need to lose consciousness when they sustain a concussion. In the past several years, more research surrounding concussions has emerged. That research showed that the vast majority of concussions do not result in loss of consciousness. Research actually suggests that less than 10% of concussions result in loss of consciousness¹. More commonly, individuals will feel dizzy or dazed.

Assumption #2: Concussions are Only Caused By a Hit to the Head

People tend to believe that one can only sustain a concussion if they have a direct impact to the head. However, that is not the case. Concussions occur due to a rapid acceleration of the brain, primarily rotational acceleration. While concussions typically come from a blow to the head, it can also occur if someone is hit in the face or chest².

Assumption #3: The Effects of a Concussion are Short-Term

While 80-90% of concussions resolve within 7-10 days, every concussion and recovery is unique³. In some cases, the underlying effects of a concussion can last for years or have permanent effects. Some suggested long-term effects of concussions can include memory problems, depression, and other cognitive problems.

Assumption #4: All Concussions are the Same

No two concussions are the same, nor are their recoveries. The symptoms one experiences with a concussion can be different depending on a lot of factors. Some of those factors may include the force and location of the impact, history of concussions, time between injuries, and the severity of metabolic dysfunction. Each of these factors dictates how a person recovers from a concussion. One doctor has explained it along the lines of: A hit that your brother takes may take him 2 weeks to recover, while that same hit takes you two years. You each are completely unique, so your recovery is completely unique.

Assumption #5: You Know Right Away if Someone has a Concussion

While the signs and symptoms of a concussion are often present immediately following the injury, that is not always the case. Sometimes, signs and symptoms may not appear for hours, days, or weeks after the injury occurs. It is important for parents, coaches, teachers, and friends to realize that some concussion symptoms may not appear right away but still need to be taken seriously.

Resources:
¹(2013). Sports concussion statistics. Headcase. Retrieved from https://www.headcasecompany.com/.
²(2015). Sports medicine division FAQ. Boston Children’s Hospital. Retrieved from https://www.childrenshospital.org/.
³(2015). Concussion facts: did you know? Sanford Health. Retrieved from https://www.sanfordhealth.org/.

This weekend (Nov. 21 – 22), CAN Recover’s Colleen Fagan will be running for Miss Massachusetts! The Miss USA organization caught wind of her concussion recovery story and reached out to her a few weeks ago to participate in the competition. Colleen is not only running to become queen, but is using this experience as an opportunity to spread concussion awareness. Although she is busy preparing, we were able to bug her for a quick interview!

1. What was your initial reaction when you heard that Miss Massachusetts USA was inviting you to participate in this year’s competition?

   When I first received the invitation to participate in this Miss Massachusetts USA pageant, I was a little shocked. I thought that it was a joke. Here I was, a former ice hockey player with no experience with pageants and I was being invited to participate. Then, taking it more seriously I thought that it would be a great opportunity to share my story and raise awareness about concussions.

2. What kind of preparation have you needed to go through?

   Oh, wow! The preparation for Miss Massachusetts USA has been extensive. First, I had to go and buy all of the dresses, shoes, and accessories, which in and of itself can be very overwhelming. Next, I had to get cleared by my doctors to begin to workout so that I could get in the best shape possible. Then, as the competition has grown closer I have had to work with pageant coaches on how to interview and how to walk. Yes – how to walk! I actually spent 2 hours practicing my walk in one day. Other than that, it was all about mentally preparing myself for what is to come this weekend!

3. You said you were going to use this opportunity to spread concussion awareness. What do is the most important message you will convey to others?

   The most important message that I will convey to others is that concussions need to be taken seriously and that if you are going through a prolonged recovery you are not alone. I think that too many times, people brush off concussions and their symptoms and try to attribute them to something else – stress, depression, or just an over active imagination. By sharing my story, I hope to give others the knowledge that they are not alone and give them the hope that they will recover.

4. What are you most looking forward to for the November 21 & 22 competition?

   I am really looking forward to the opportunity to share my story and raise awareness about concussions. To be honest, I am not in it for the glitz and glamour and fame that will go along with the title Miss Massachusetts USA. Rather, I want to win so that I can share my story with people across Massachusetts and the nation. In sharing my story, I want touch people’s lives and give them hope and determination to recover.

You can cheer on Colleen at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium on Saturday at 8 PM (preliminaries) and Sunday at 5 PM (finals). More details and tickets can be found here.

Best of luck Colleen!

“Serious concussions are on the rise, but so are advances in their treatment.” – Concussion Event at the Dr Robert C. Cantu Concussion Center

On Sunday, October 4, thanks in part to a Patriots’ bye week, I (Julia) had the opportunity to attend a concussion event at the Dr. Robert C. Cantu Concussion Center in Concord, MA. Joining me from CANRecover were co-founder, Aaron Rocha, and board member, Michael Mozill. The event gave us the chance to hear tips for concussion prevention, learn about recent advances in concussion treatment, and watch demonstrations of two machines (the Vasper and the Dynavision) that can be used as part of concussion treatment programs at the Center.

Some of my biggest takeaways from the presentations were:

• The importance of neck strength. Recent studies have shown neck strength to be an important factor in reducing the risk of concussions. Athletes with weaker overall neck strength are at a higher risk for concussion, and could benefit from a targeted exercise program to improve their neck and core strength
• The value of comprehensive baseline assessments. Concussions can lead to impairments in cognitive function, visual function, and balance, and the most useful baseline assessments cover each of those dimensions. Baseline assessments performed at the Cantu Concussion Center include four parts:
• The ImPACT test to assess cognitive skills such as memory, concentration, attention, and multi-tasking
• The King Devick test to assess visual tracking and eye movements
• The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) test to evaluate balance in a variety of standing positions
• A neck strength evaluation to assess neck strength and determine where improvements could be made to help reduce the risk of injury
• The value of a multidisciplinary team in the treatment of concussions. Every concussion is unique, and ideal concussion management is a team effort. Depending on the person and the injury, the team may include parents, coaches, teachers, and multiple healthcare providers, such as, athletic trainers, nurses, doctors, neurologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and chiropractors.

After the presentations, all attendees were invited to attend breakout sessions on the Vasper and Dynavision machines. The Vasper machine is used in some concussion treatment programs to help patients get the benefits of intense exercise earlier in their recovery than they might otherwise be able to tolerate. The Dynavision machine (seen here being used by Aaron Rocha), helps train visual acuity and cognitive processing, and helps improve reaction times.

To learn more about the Cantu Concussion Center, visit their website.

In February of 2014, in my 2nd semester of college at Husson University, I was diagnosed with my 4th documented concussion. Although I don’t know, and may never know, the exact date of my concussion, the doctor’s best guess is that I sustained it in December of 2013 while playing in a hockey tournament. Withdrawing from school, because my symptoms were so intense, I spent the next 3 months in my room in the dark. Attempting to find some relief over the span of 19 months, I sought the expertise of more than 25 doctors/medical professionals, went to 12 different hospitals/medical practices, traveled to 3 states for treatments/opinions, and completed 1 clinical trial. I was diagnosed and re-diagnosed so many times that I didn’t know what to think. Doctors would look at me and tell me that I was as good as I was going to get, that my symptoms were not anatomically possible, and that it was all in my head. Everything that I once knew and loved was ripped away from me. Completely discouraged in August of 2015, it was recommended that I seek treatment from the Cerebrum Health Center in Dallas, Texas (formerly Carrick Brain Center). Traveling to Dallas during the last week of August, my hope was completely renewed. On day 1 of my treatments, the doctors and other medical professionals did a full exam on me. The exam included testing my eyes, my balance, completing cognitive tests, and symptom-based tests to name a few. Within just a few hours of walking through the doors at Cerebrum, the doctors were able to determine that my left-brain was not functioning properly. While it was there in mass and matter, it was not functioning at normal levels. The left brain is what controls speech, logic, reasoning, enables people to do math and science, write, and controls all movements and feeling on the right side of the body.

Looking back, I was able to see that most, if not all of my symptoms were controlled by the left-brain. For instance I had trouble speaking, I couldn’t do simple math, I couldn’t learn easily, and I would write words out of order (among other symptoms). Besides that discovery, the doctors also determined that all of my allergies – gluten, dairy, soy, peanuts, eggs, and tomatoes – that have appeared during the past 5 years have all been a result of my concussions. Establishing a treatment plan immediately, I had a doctor and intern assigned to my case. Working with them 3 times a day, I slowly began to improve. Basically what they were doing was re-wiring my left-brain. At the beginning of the week, if I closed my eyes, I would fall over. Or if you were to touch my right fingers I wouldn’t be able to tell which finger was being touched. If you were to move my right toes up and down, I wouldn’t be able to tell if they were going up or down. Even looking at my right hand in a mirror I felt as if it wasn’t my own. Working with me, my doctors completed several different treatments that were designed to increase the functions of my left-brain. For instance they would stimulate my right arm and leg will writing letters and numbers on my hand and foot that I would have to identify. They also had me complete tracking exercises by following a dot as it moved across a screen. Another treatment they had me complete was referred to as metronome. In the simplest of terms, I would have to practice controlling my hand and foot while tapping a computer screen and the floor in time with the beeps. The last treatment I will discuss is the OVARD. Similar to a space-training machine, I would sit in the machine while it flipped around, stimulating the neuropath ways in my brain to regenerate.

But by the end of the week, I had improved so much. I was able to close my eyes and only sway slightly before my body realizes where it was. I could even count upwards by 3s (to 15), 4s (to 24), and 11s (to 99). Before, I couldn’t do this without counting on my fingers. While this may seem like tiny improvements to some, these are huge improvements for me. While I still have a very long road of recovery in front of me, the week I spent at Cerebrum is what gave me the hope that I can and will continue to improve. Seeing the progress that I made in just a week, and the progress other patients made taught me two things: 1) Concussions are not injuries that should be taken lightly – they have the ability to change the entire course of one’s life. 2) Tomorrow is not guaranteed – live everyday of your life to the absolute fullest, don’t worry about what people think about you, and go after exactly what you want.

– Colleen Fagan

On Saturday, August 15th, I (Varun) had the opportunity to attend a Concussion Seminar at The Micheli Center. The Micheli Center is the sports injury prevention sector at Boston Children’s Hospital and one of CAN Recover’s partners. The diverse group of attendees consisted of doctors, physical trainers, research fellows and of course, CAN Recover team members. Dr. Meehan kicked off the session with a medical overview of what a concussion was. Although I have a good understanding of what happens when someone is hit, it was refreshing to hear it again. Not to mention, I was able to learn more about what leads to a concussion. For example, a concussion is not typically caused by the linear acceleration of the brain, but specifically the rotational acceleration of the brain. This was an important concept to grasp, because of the effect it has on the brain. While presenting the medical side, Dr. Meehan also mentioned that a car accident and whip lash can also cause a concussion. It’s something that doesn’t seem obvious at first thought but makes a lot of sense. Typically, concussions are heard of in the context of sports, but we also forget there are other cases where a concussion can present itself. Unfortunately, concussions aren’t as obvious other injuries such as a broken arm, so it is harder to pin- point the issue. But it is also not something that should be taken lightly.

After Dr. Meehan’s segment, Dr. Howell presented the research that he and others have been involved with. It was great to hear how much research is out there and that there are people devoted to learning more about this invisible injury. One particular research study that resonated with me coming out of Boston Children’s Hospital, was their Gait/ Balance testing. For those recovering from concussions, sensors demonstrate a person’s walking formation through a series of activities. One video Dr. Howell shared, the participant seemed to be walking straight in one angle but when you took a bird eye view, the participant was wobbling quite a bit.

After learning about the research initiatives, Dennis Borg, an athletic trainer at The Micheli Center demonstrated some exercises to strengthen the neck and core muscles. The purpose of these exercises is to better condition and strengthen the body for situations where it will be exposed to any head movement. In addition to the strengthening exercises, Dennis and another trainer demonstrated a different method of using the agility ladder which emphasized the importance of looking up while running. The demonstrations relayed the theme of spatial awareness which is important for concussion prevention.

Lastly, Dr. O’Brien provided an overview of concussion prevention from the perspective of someone who supports athletes on the sidelines. I found it to be very interesting that if there is a suspected head injury, he won’t bench the athlete right away for the rest of the game. He runs some necessary tests to ensure that the athlete is ready and safe to get back on the field. Dr. O’Brien that delved into the debate for time someone should take to return to school or to play after a concussion. He explored the cocoon therapy which simulates complete rest for a number of days, which we learned in reality; too much rest can be ineffective. It’s important that those undergoing recovery, slowly get back into the groove of things and simulate the brain in appropriate amounts.
It was very interesting to hear about each speaker’s perspective and experience with concussions. The seminar had a refreshing feel to it as the emphasis was on concussion prevention and the amount of effort that is invested in furthering the knowledge through research. This was a great learning experience and I look forward to many more to come.

-Varun Sachdeva

Suffering from concussion symptoms?

The Division of Sports Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) is investigating a possible treatment option for concussions. The treatment involves placing light emitting diodes (LED) on important structures on the head.

If you are 11 years old or older, have been diagnosed with a concussion, and have had symptoms for 4 weeks or more, you may be eligible to participate in this research study.

Participants will:

• Undergo light therapy or placebo therapy (no direct therapeutic effect).
• Rate their symptoms.
• Undergo a series of tests to assess neurocognitive function.

Study Information:

• This is a 6 week study (3 visits/week for 6 weeks).
• Study visits may be completed at BCH’s locations in Boston or Waltham.
• Participants will receive $100 for study completion.

Click here http://www.themichelicenter.com/resources/led-therapy-concussion-study/ to learn more.

CONCORD, NH: This past weekend, CAN Recover was invited to speak at the USA Hockey Level 4 Coaching Clinic for 125 coaches across New England. I had the privilege of speaking alongside Dr. Ashare of USA Hockey’s Safety and Protective Equipment Committee. Before “Doc” got into the medical details about concussions in youth hockey and how to prevent, identify, and report them, I opened the floor with an introduction from the student-athletes perspective. Having coaches (and really anyone in the community) hear what it is like from a the kid in the skates/cleats gives them an appreciation for the topic. I explained some of the stories from our Core Team here at CAN Recover and how and why our organization is driven by student-athletes themselves.

One of the things I came out of the presentation with was the amount of pressure is on the coaches from parents, players, etc. When you think about it, they are really the first responder when it comes to trying to determine whether or not there was a suspected head injury…a decision that is very difficult to assess and is typically unanswered by the athletes themselves. What I would reiterate is that even when it is just suspected, it is worth having the kid take a break for a couple days until he/she is evaluated by a doctor. Although it might not be the popular decision, it is important to keep reminding yourself and the community that the #1 priority is always a youth athletes health. I know I wasn’t happy when I was pulled…an athlete never is, but in hindsight, it couldn’t have been a better decision.

Thank you for all the coaches interest and questions during the clinic. I am very excited to represent CAN Recover again in August for another Level 4 Coaching clinic down in Hartford, CT.

– Aaron Rocha

A couple weeks ago, co-founder, Aaron Rocha, attended The 12th Annual Sports Concussion, Traumatic Brain and Spine Injury Conference” held at Harvard Medical School. Below, he shares his experience.

This was our organization’s second time to the annual conference, last year being with two additional board members. It’s a humbling experience walking into an auditorium full of some of the best doctors in the world there to discuss their expertise—concussions. It is also a very rewarding experience as these conference proctors said hello to me by name and asked how the Foundation is going. It was great catching up with the many we’ve been talking with over the past couple years.

The purpose of attending such a prestigious conference is not so that I may personally pursue a career as a doctor, athletic trainer, or sports psychologist. It is simply to learn the most up-to-date findings about an injury that drastically impacted me, my family, and the members of CAN Recover’s network as well as connect with the best of the best on how to collaboratively drive our mission.

The presentations were top-notch from pioneers such as Dr. Meehan, Dr. Cantu, Dr. McKee, Dr. Kirkwood, and many more. Come the Q&A following the morning half of the conference, I was able to inquire to the speakers about the how we as a community can help fill the data and research gaps that will lead to a better understanding of the invisible injury. During the break Dr. Meehan and I dug into more details on how each survey or clinical study is different, (including one 6-week-commitment trial that I participated in a couple years ago that is still underway). All speakers were very welcoming during the breaks throughout the remainder of the day, and I was happy to take advantage of each to learn more about specific topics catering to CAN Recover’s progress. I (and our core team) look forward to continuing the conversation.

The 12th Annual Concussion Conference was a great learning experience for me to refresh all the latest findings, be introduced to metrics that are not yet publicly published, and hear what’s coming next in the research world. I was able to re-connect with those CAN Recover has been in touch with through our early years and introduce CAN Recover to many more medical leaders for the first time, forming new relationships. What truly reassures me that our Foundation is headed down the right path is that everyone I was able to speak with was impressed with CAN Recover’s values and progress so far, and offered encouraging words for future success. All around a very fun and successful day.

Thursday, April 23rd join us at Upper Crust in Wellesley
from 5pm-10pm…this time, all you have to do is EAT
since 10% of ALL sales will be donated to CAN Recover!

Start your weekend off a little early by joining us at Upper Crust! Work up an appetite, swing by and help contribute to our Dough for Dollars efforts!

Popular Menu Items

• The Swellesley
• Big Steve’s Buffalo
• The State House

Wednesday April 22nd join us at THE LOCAL in Wellesley
from 11am-10pm, show this flyer or mention CAN Recover
and 10% of what you spend will be donated to CAN Recover!show
and 15% of what you spend will be donated to CAN Recover!

Celebrate making it half way through the week by grabbing some food at The Local! Featured on the Best of Boston list, The Local serves up everything from Lobster Mac & Cheese to Sweet Thai Chicken wings. Come hungry, leave happy!

Popular Menu Items

• Lobster Mac & Cheese
• Chicken, Bacon & Chive Mac & Cheese
• The Local Burger (with Truffle Fries!!!)
• Seared Ahi Tuna