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Managing sports-related concussions requires a structured, evidence-based approach and often a multidisciplinary team to ensure a safe return to play. Tools like the SCAT6 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool) and SCOAT6 (Sport Concussion Office Assessment Tool) play pivotal roles in the  assessment and management of sports related concussion. Developed as part of the 2023 Concussion in Sport Group (CISG) Statement, these tools offer standardized methods for evaluating sport related concussion symptoms and guiding recovery.

In this blog, we outline the roles of the SCAT6 and SCOAT6, when to use them, their similarities and differences, strengths and weaknesses, and how to optimize them...

This fall, Guardian Caps are appearing more frequently in football, including on professional fields. As someone with experience with rugby and wakeboarding, I immediately noticed how these caps resembled scrum caps used in rugby or impact vests for wakeboarding.

Guardian Caps are soft-shell helmet covers designed to reduce the force of impacts during collisions. With concussions continuing to be a significant issue in contact sports, especially football and hockey, these caps offer a fresh approach to an old problem. Let's face it, over the past few decades, helmet designs have not changed much while concussions have remained a persistent issue.

How Do Guardian Caps Work?

The...

As a physiotherapist, the decision to use a particular treatment often rests on a delicate balance between using something as there is strong research behind it or not. This holds true with the use of blue light blocking glasses to treat concussion and vestibular migraine. Some optometrists we have talked to indicated that they do not endorse the use of these glasses due to a lack of research. Then, on the other hand we hear from people who say these glasses were "game changers" for managing their symptoms. Is there something behind these glasses, are they a placebo, or a bit of both?

Let's explore the rationale for considering the use of blue light blocking glasses.

Blue Light Blocking...

Wondering what treatment or exercises to prescribe to your patient with ongoing symptoms after a concussion or associated with vestibular migraines?

With seeing patients with these two conditions over the years you have likely found that they both have something in common. They can both have a component of symptoms that originate from the neck, whether it be headaches and/or dizziness. It is therefore vital to be able to address the neck in order to stop the cycle of ongoing symptoms or at least help them manage their symptoms better. At North 49, a tool that has been useful in determining if the neck is a factor in one’s symptoms and can also guide our treatment is the use of...

After months of anticipation it is finally here. The Consensus statement on concussion in sport from the 6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport, held in Amsterdam in October 2022, was just published in the June 2023 edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine. This document brings together the latest research and recommendations regarding sports related concussion.

For some of us who have been treating concussion for decades it has been interesting to observe the changes with each consensus statement as more and more research is being done in the field of sports related concussion. It has also been great to see these consensus statements bringing the health care...

It is well known that concussions are common. They can, however, be a challenge to treat, both for the patient/athlete and care provider. Given such, there have been attempts to prevent concussion through education awareness, rule changes in sport, and equipment (i.e. helmet) modification.

With that in mind have you heard of the Q-collar? There are claims that is has the ability to reduce the risk and severity of a concussion?

A few years ago I started seeing football players in the CFL and NFL wearing something around their neck. It looked like a skinny set of ear muffs. When I looked into it I found out that the device was supposed to prevent concussions, or at least the severity of...

I am not sure any of you watched the NFL game with the Bills and the Dolphins on Sunday September 25, 2022? If you did you would have seen the Dolphin’s QB Tagovailoa get pushed backwards, causing him to fall and hit his head on the turf. He was able to get up on his own. However, as he jogged across the field his legs looked like the scene of Bambi on the ice. If you missed it, here is a REPLAY.

With that, if you are like me, you were thinking that he was definitely going to be out for the rest of the football game. Then, the shocker came when he was allowed to resume play.

Did he sustain a concussion?

What are the signs and symptoms of a concussion?

Recognizing and evaluating...

Do you ever wonder what would happen if one of your patients had a vertebral artery dissection?

Do you ever wonder if you would be able to screen if your patient has a vertebral artery dissection?

We recently had a patient come through our clinic with a vertebral artery dissection and his history was alarming. Before we review this case let’s review some of the common questions about this condition:

• What is vertebral artery dissection?
• What causes vertebral artery dissection?
• How common is vertebral artery dissection?
• What are the symptoms of a vertebral artery dissection?
• How is vertebral artery dissection diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for vertebral artery dissection?

What is...

Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in research published regarding concussions. This information has allowed care providers to better understand the pathophysiology and natural history of concussions. Treatment protocols have also been published to assist care providers in the management of concussions.

As with anything, with this increase in published information, there is a corresponding increase in misinformation and/or poor quality research. This has lead to conflicting information and confusion for both the health care provider and the patient.

Given this, we have decided to clear up some of this confusion in regards to concussions by getting “back to...