Just in time for the back-to-school season, the CDC is now outlining the first evidence-based recommendations for diagnosing and treating kids with concussions.
“What it does is really clarify a lot of questions about diagnosis, about treatment, about whether or not to scan, so it gives clinicians a best practice guideline,” said Joanna Boyd, public education coordinator at the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey.
The report is based on 25 years of research. For starters is using age appropriate symptom scales for diagnosing instead of relying on CT and MRIs as the first line. That’s one key recommendation of the 19 set forth.
“Years ago the only treatment given was cocoon therapy — dark room and no activity until symptoms resolved. Now we know how important active rehabilitation is, but it must be done under the supervision of a concussion expert,” said Danit Macklin, physical therapist at Hackensack University Medical Center.