Concussion Clinic

Children’s Rehabilitation Associates now offers a concussion clinic for children and teenagers who have sustained concussions and other mild head injuries. The clinic focus is to evaluate and treat medical problems associated with the head injury and make recommendations on returning to previous activity level.

The team works closely with neuropsychology to assess potential problems with attention and memory or behavioral problems that may occur after the injury.

Call 404-785-2490 to refer a patient to the Physiatry Concussion Clinic.

What is a concussion?

A concussion is a mild injury to the brain that can temporarily change how the brain works. It is usually caused by a sudden blow or bump to the head; however, a person does not need to be knocked out or lose consciousness to have had a concussion. A concussion also can be caused by a rapid acceleration-deceleration of the head, such as whiplash, without physical contact to the head.

What should parents do after a concussion?

Serious problems after a concussion are rare but can occur. A doctor should always be involved in a child’s care after a concussion. Watch your child very carefully the first one to two days after the injury. Give acetaminophen for headaches, but no other medicine should be given during this time without a doctor’s approval.

Return to the emergency department or call 911 if your child has one or more of the following symptoms:

• Severe, persistent headache
• Confusion, extreme sleepiness or trouble waking up
• Nausea or repeated vomiting during a 24-hour period
• Increased clumsiness, trouble walking or talking
• Seizure (arms or legs stiffen or shake uncontrollably)
• Any other sudden change in thinking or behavior

Most young people will recover completely from a concussion within one to two weeks, though some can take longer to recover than others. Watch for these problems:

Physical	Thinking Skills	Emotional
Headache	Slowed thinking	Easily frustrated
Low energy	Acting “in a fog”	Irritable
Sleep problems	Trouble paying attention	Personality changes
Sickness to stomach	Trouble with memory	Nervousness
Sensitivity to light or noise	Difficulty solving problems	Acting without thinking
Ringing in ears	Disorganized	Sadness
Problems seeing	Trouble in school	Anxiety
Balance problems	Easily confused	Clinginess

Contact your doctor if:

• Any of the above problems lasts more than two weeks
• A problem seems especially severe
• Your child has had more than one concussion
• Thinking or academic problems appear especially severe
• Your child has been diagnosed with a more serious brain injury

Returning to school

After a concussion, follow these steps to help your child’s transition back to school:

1. Ask your child’s doctor when your child can go back to school.
   Most children are able to return to school within a few days of their injury.
   Some children benefit from returning to school more gradually.
   Your doctor can help you decide the best path for your child.    
2. Tell your child’s schoolteacher that your child had a concussion, even if the concussion happened during the summer.
3. Have the school staff monitor your child carefully for the next several weeks after he returns. The staff should look for the common physical, thinking and emotional problems listed previously.
4. Your child might need extra help at school.   
   • Talk with your child’s teacher to begin getting this help.
   • If problems last more than a few weeks, a formal school plan should be developed.
5. Your child should be checked by a team of healthcare or school professionals as soon as possible if problems at school continue.

When to return to daily activities

Most children will be able to return to their normal activities one to two weeks after they are no longer having the physical, thinking or emotional problems caused by the concussion. It is important that your child not return to any physical activity that may cause a concussion until he is cleared by a doctor.