Abstract
Background: Long-term symptoms after sustaining a concussion can lead to a number of detrimental effects on an individual, which may include academic hardships, social withdrawal and lack of participation in activities that would otherwise promote physical and psychological wellbeing. The purpose of this case report is to describe the physical therapist’s role as part of a multimodal team approach in post-concussion syndrome intervention, education, and return to play for the adolescent athlete. Case Description: A 14-year-old softball athlete receiving skilled physical therapy for ten weeks with complaints of headaches, forgetfulness, motion sensitivity, blurred vision, impaired balance, poor sleep quality, irritability, and slowed thought-processing several weeks after sustaining a concussion. Outcomes: Subjective tests and measures following physical therapy intervention revealed reduced headache severity and frequency, no reports of nausea or dizziness while riding in an automobile, and no reports of sleep disturbances or irritability. Objective outcomes showed improvements in the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) Near-point Convergence (NPC), decreased tenderness with palpation to the suboccipital region, negative smooth pursuits and saccades and improved cognition as evidenced by enhanced grades upon discharge. Discussion: Physical therapists play an important role as part of the concussion care team in the rehabilitation of adolescent athletes presenting with post-concussion syndrome through integration of vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT), manual and therapeutic interventions to treat cervical dysfunctions, and implementation of a prescribed, submaximal exercise program. The therapist also possesses the capacity to educate the athlete on proper post-concussion management, making referrals to other healthcare providers when deemed necessary.