BOISE – Older drivers with a history of falling are 40 percent more likely to be involved in motor vehicle crashes than their peers, according to a new study released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. >>

With the release of the movie "Concussion," there's been more attention on the impact of sports-related brain injuries and concussions on professional athletes. It has been suggested that while they may have enjoyed lucrative compensation packages or hall-of-fame careers, some of these athletes paid a high price with irreversible damage to their health. I hope this focus not only brings more light to the challenges facing elite athletes, but also helps student-athletes, whose brains are still developing and therefore more vulnerable to the serious ramifications of concussions. >>

“A Season with Notre Dame Football”, a series currently running on Showtime, focuses on how this legendary football team prepares for upcoming games, including how they manage the health of the athletes.  During season 1, episode 11 a portion of the episode focused on how the trainers and medical staff administer balance assessment as part of their concussion protocol. >>

GRAND BLANC (WJRT) - (12/02/15) - Concussions and the danger of them in youth sports has been a hot topic lately. In the past, a concussion could sideline your child for months - but a new piece of equipment in Grand Blanc can change that. >>

The U.S. Soccer Federation announced a player safety campaign that eliminates heading for children 10 and under, and limits the amount of heading in practice for children ages of 11 to 13. >>

The epidemic that is concussion in sports continues to affect many of us and has trickled down from the professional and college fields to the youth sports that many of us played. The majority of physical therapists will not have the opportunity to work with the post-concussed professional or collegiate athlete, but all of us can positively affect the incidence of concussion in youth sports leagues through education, comprehensive baseline concussion testing, and post-concussion management as rehabilitation specialists. The technologies available to us in this area of practice continues to grow and evolve. >>

Much of the conversation around concussions in youth sports focuses on collision sports such as football, hockey and lacrosse. Little attention is given to the athletes on the sideline, cheering their teams to victory.

And yet, cheerleading carries the highest rate of catastrophic injury in sports and accounts for two-thirds (65 percent) of all catastrophic injuries to female athletes. >>

September 30, 2015, Shirley NY – Biodex Medical Systems, Inc. is hosting a Concussion Workshop with emphasis on youth sports. Our guest speaker, David Bertone, PT, DPT, OCS will be presenting his Concussion in Youth Sports program focusing on the prevention, education and rehabilitation of athletes who have sustained a concussion. This material will benefit physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, athletic trainers, doctors, nurses and physician assistants with minimal to intermediate experience working with concussed athletes, and post-concussion rehabilitation. >>

The Dell Rapids Area Hospital has purchased a new piece of helpful medical equipment thanks to a gift from the Dell Rapids Community Hospital Foundation.

The Biodex Balance System SD is the hospital’s newest edition of high-tech medical equipment. It’s used by physical therapy and is a balance testing and training tool that helps patients that suffer from balance related issues. Physical therapists are able to assess fall risk and then recommend exercises to help improve balance, agility and muscle tone. Other applications include screening athletes for single-leg injuries, concussion management, and wellness or fitness activities. >>

Shirley, NY – October 29, 2014 – Biodex Medical Systems, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has formed a Preferred Vendor Partnership with Concussion Health. The partnership creates a symbiotic relationship in which education and balance assessment are used to follow best practices in the management of concussion, including both testing and rehabilitation.

Today, proper evaluation of concussion should include baseline Balance Assessment, Cognitive Assessment and Graded Symptoms Checklist. By combining Biodex Balance Assessment with Concussion Health education, practitioners will be better able to understand the rehabilitation component of a concussion program, become recognized as a Certified Concussion Provider, and will be able to offer a truly comprehensive program for concussion management.

“Our goal in entering this partnership with Concussion Health is to provide our customers both the assessment and the education on how to take the findings from an assessment and put them into a comprehensive care plan, so they may become the premier concussion rehabilitation facility in their area”, states Don Gronachan, Vice President, Physical Medicine Sales.  >>

Zaihe Regus closed his eyes and stood still on a nearly 2-inch-thick piece of foam.

The Mercyhurst University freshman's feet swayed slightly on the cushion, which is part of the Biodex Balance System. It measured how well Regus, 18, kept his body in balance.

"It's like I'm standing on Jell-O," Regus said.

Regus underwent the test Friday at the Concussion Clinic at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Medical Fitness & Wellness Center, 5401 Peach St.

Physicians have been treating Regus and others with concussions at the clinic since it opened in July. It is in LECOM's Office of Sports Medicine and Integrated Care. >>

COLCHESTER, Vt. - Some schools like Colchester High School conduct baseline concussion screening tests for each athlete at the beginning of the school year. It is not a state requirement. There is some debate over the accuracy of the computer-based tests, which is why some parents are opting to have their children tested independently.

"It is a big issue because you need to make sure your athletes can return to what they did before. If you don't get a baseline test and they get hit in the head, you don't know where they are starting from in terms of making a return to play decision. So you need that to understand are they back to a baseline or for us within 15 percent of their baseline, so they can be cleared to go back into sport," said Sean Fitzgerald, a physical therapist.

Transitions Physical Therapy uses a test that includes a review of symptoms, neuro-cognitive processing and something called a neuro-physical balance assessment, using a machine called the Biodex Balance System. >>

To assist parents and coaches in protecting young athletes from the serious head injuries that can result from returning to play too soon after a suffering a concussion, The Valley Hospital Sports Institute offers the ImPACT Concussion Management Test.  ImPACT (Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is an innovative computerized evaluation system that assesses the effects and severity of a concussion and helps determine when it is safe for an athlete to return to contact sports following a concussion. >>

Aurora Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) is the sports medicine branch of Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center, in Sheboygan,  WI. As the premiere sports medicine provider in southeastern Wisconsin, ASMI is the premier choice of physically active individuals for preventative and rehabilitative care of orthopedic and sports injuries.

Adam Brill is an Athletic Trainer at ASMI and plays a large role in program development at the institute. He is also the head Athletic Trainer at Plymouth High School in Plymouth, WI, where he is focused on performance enhancement and injury prevention for all their student athletes.

“We knew the general parameters in the management of concussion, but we wanted to develop a formal system and put some strong policies in place,” explains Brill. “We met as an athletic training team to review the Zurich Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport that was published in 2009.   That’s where we drew a lot of our information from.  We also had a great team of pediatricians who provided their expertise and who we shared our ideas with.  >>

In 2006, 13-year-old Zack Lystedt suffered multiple concussions in a football game, which resulted in serious long-term brain injuries. Zack’s case inspired patient advocates, who successfully lobbied the Washington State Legislature to adopt the nation’s first “concussion law” in 2009.

Since then, more than 40 state legislatures have enacted concussion laws. These laws typically require removing players who suffer suspected sports-related concussions from sports activities until a health care professional clears them to return to play. While these laws are well-intentioned, and have strong popular and physician appeal, they may inadvertently pose new liability risks to pediatricians and other health care professionals. >>

The Valley Hospital Sports Institute in Ridgewood, NJ recently enhanced its Concussion Management Program with the addition of the Biodex Biosway Balance testing unit. The test takes about 5 minutes and provides a psycho-motor assessment of concussion injuries. Athletes should be tested in the preseason to gather baseline information that can be used for comparison in the event of a concussion to assess the extent of the injury and the athlete’s readiness to return to activity. >>

Jones Memorial Hospital is offering free screenings for area youth prior to the start of the spring sports season.
 
The pre-season concussion screenings are part of a larger effort to better assess injuries suffered during the course of the game.  

Using Wellsville High School as a pilot participant, the hospital’s Biodex Concussion Management Program will provide free screenings and assessments for students planning to play soccer, football and other physical contact sports. Plans call for expanding the effort to other local schools and athletes beginning this fall. >>

BERLIN, Md.- With the start of a new school year comes the start of the fall sports season for thousands of Delmarva student athletes. As with many sports, concussions are a big problem, especially in football and soccer- which is why Atlantic Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine in Berlin is offering a free testing using the Biodex Baseline Testing machine.

Charles Curran, a physical therapist, said the pre-screening process can go a long way in preventing further injury. >>

Aurora Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), headquartered in Sheboygan, Wis, reports that it has begun to use the Biodex Balance System SD as an integrated approach to the management of concussion. The device's treatment implications in concussion came as a new avenue for addressing the condition, according to Adam Brill (pictured right), TAC, LAT, ASMI athletic trainer. The decision to repurpose the device stemmed from the facility's review of the Zurich Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport, which emphasizes that concussion management should be approached as a system rather than individual parts. >>

HealthReach Rehabilitation Services in Brookfield is now offering comprehensive baseline testing that could help physicians properly treat young athletes after a concussion.

The service, for individual youth athletes as well as youth teams, addresses all the major best-practice assessments for safe, effective management of sports related concussions, said Michael Tabor, director of sports medicine for HealthReach Rehabilitation Services.

“Concussions are on the rise as athletes of all ages play aggressively on fields, courts and ice,” Tabor said. “Even minor impacts can result in long-term cognitive and motor deficiencies when a concussion goes undiagnosed and an athlete returns to play too soon.” >>

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Controversy continues over whether a brain injury led former Patriots linebacker, Junior Seau , to kill himself this week. For years, there has been debate about how concussions impact the brain and future health problems for athletes.

Student-athletes at Springfield College are tested for concussions with two types of technology.

The Athletic Department uses software that detects cognitive problems before the athletes are allowed to play. If they get a concussion, they are tested again before returning to the field or court using balance equipment. >>

As attention is drawn towards studying concussions around the country, here in Western Mass sports medicine departments such as Springfield College have been doing a lot of research in the field.

According to the Springfield College football team’s athletic trainer, concussions are on the rise in student athletes. >>

Dr. Salvatore Trazzera, a Board Certified Cardiologist, Internal Medicine Specialist and Sports Medicine Physician has rapidly established himself as the athletes and fitness conscious individual's physician.  He has extensive experience in coronary angiography, non invasive vascular imaging and state of the art cardiac and vascular computed tomography.  His life long experience as a competitive athlete combined with his extensive medical training, knowledge and clinical experience provide an uncommon combination of skills which allow him to relate to his athletes in a way unique to few physicians.  He is owner and supervising team physician of professional, Jr. A and youth hockey programs for NYTEX Sports, Suffolk PAL and the Texas Brahmas of the Central Hockey League he has introduced a concussion prevention and management program utilizing state of the art clinical neurocognitive ([email protected]) and neurophysical (Biodex Balance [email protected]) assessment.  This program will help to guide athletes to safer timing of return to play minimizing recurrent and long term injury further decreasing post concussive cognitive impairment. To date he has over 250 competitive athletes baseline tested with ImPACT and Biodex Balance-SD and experience and expertise in returning athletes to competition safely post traumatic brain injury (concussion).  >>  

Linwood physical therapy center helps maturing bodies gain and maintain strength

LINWOOD – Eleanor Hagan spent 26 years in the Atlantic City casino industry. Starting as a bartender at Bally’s Park Place, Hagan moved on to become a floor person and then a dealer at the blackjack, roulette, poker and craps tables.

All the while, she had a second career in mind – one markedly different from the first. Studying nights, weekends, during her work breaks, and in countless stolen moments in between, Hagan worked toward her goal. In 2000, she earned her master’s degree in physical therapy at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. She was 50.

“People always said, ‘By the time you graduate, you’re going to be too old; who’s going to want to hire you?’” said Hagan. But her age worked in her favor, she said, giving her the single-mindedness to push past obstacles and the patience to deal effectively with challenged clients. >>

CONCUSSION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
CALDWELL THERAPY CENTER is now offering athletes, sport teams, schools and recreation departments, a new program for Concussion Management. The program includes Pre-Season Baseline Testing and Post-Injury Assesment for both Neuro-Physical and Neuro-Cognitive Testing.   New requirements and guidelines for athletes at the professional, collegiate and scholastic levels have made Concussion Management an integral part of an athlete's seasonal preparation.

BALANCE & FALL RISK SCREENING
Caldwell Therapy Center is offering our patients and the community a FREE consultation with trained physical therapist to discuss and find out whether you can benefit from our BALANCE & FALL PREVENTION PROGRAM. >>

Former MLS star Taylor Twellman joins OTL to talk about the impact of concussions

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- Former New England Revolution star Taylor Twellman said Friday that the Major League Soccer team ignored his symptoms of multiple concussions, even sending him back on the field after he said, "I have a concussion," following the hit that eventually forced him to retire.

Twellman, the keynote speaker at a conference on brain trauma, said the trainer instead asked him his name, the score of the game and to count backward from 100 before telling him he doesn't have a concussion and sending him back into the game. >>

Do you have good balance?  It may seem like an unnecessary question but for the elderly or those at risk of a concussion, it is a very serious issue.

Falling is the leading cause of injury death among older adults and now St. John's Health Center is offering a new way to detect and prevent the risk of a dangerous fall.

St. John's is beginning to use equipment known as the Biodex balance machine which analyzes just how well people can stand and balance. >>

An estimated 300,000 sports-related traumatic brain injuries are reported in the United States each year. Concussion is the most common sports-related brain injury, second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of traumatic injury among 15 to 24 year-olds. Properly diagnosing concussion and seeking treatment early helps athletes recover more quickly, and this is the reason KORT developed its new Concussion Management Program.

Properly diagnosing concussion and seeking treatment early helps athletes recover more quickly, and this is the reason KORT developed its new Concussion Management Program.  >>

A study has been released stating that young athletes suffering head injuries can risk death returning to action too soon. None of the protective gear worn by athletes can keep you completely safe – a second hit to the head can develop catastrophic swelling. Consider establishing unified standards, for example a sideline exam with a Biodex Balance device, so that it’s not the player’s decision and maybe not even the coaches decision to determine if the athlete should return to play.