Health Max Brampton’s Dr. Parm Badwall Consulted for Concussion Treatment Article

There’s a lot of confusion around what constitutes a concussion and its symptoms. If there is one thing that everyone should know, and one that underlines the seriousness of concussions, it is that they are an injury to the brain.

Misconceptions about concussions include:

• If you don’t lose consciousness, you don’t have a concussion
• Concussions are only caused by a blow to the head
• It’s okay to start full activities again as soon as symptoms disappear

None of these are true.

Considering the confusion, we were happy to learn that our own Dr. Parm Badwall, the Director of our Brampton Physiotherapy Clinic, was consulted to help clarify concussions and their treatment.

Dr. Badwall was quick to point out that, due to the lack of understanding, as many as 60% of concussions in high school sports go unreported in the U.S..

The first step for anyone who feels that they may have suffered a concussion is to immediately stop taking part in any sports activity. And Dr. Badwall points out that the risk of concussion doesn’t exist only in high-contact sports like hockey and football. They can easily happen in other sports like cycling, volleyball and gymnastics.

To clearly assess whether or not a patient has suffered a concussion, and its severity, Dr. Badwall suggests athletes do a baseline test of cognitive ability, which measures their cognitive functions before injury. If the athlete suffers a blow to the head, doctors can confirm that a concussion has been suffered and its severity by repeating the same tests, and comparing the new results to the baseline results.

Dr. Badwall treats many young patients who have suffered head injuries while playing sports. He’s concerned that amateur sports organizations don’t have people who are qualified to deal with concussions. To help address the problem, Dr. Badwell visits and speaks to local Brampton sports groups to raise awareness and clarify some of the misperceptions.

If you think you may have suffered a concussion or would like to complete a baseline test of cognitive ability before you do, please visit our Brampton  HalthMax Physiotherapy Clinic, or call us at 905-451-3332 for a free initial consultation with one of our therapists or doctors.