Hi, guys. Welcome to another episode of the Factor podcast. I'm your host, Jessica Riddle. Today, we wrap up the second part of our series on concussion and return to play with doctor Michael Olson. In our last episode, we were introduced to the concept of crafting individualized concussion management plans and discuss the importance of ensuring every member of the health care team is in agreement on the best path forward for optimal patient recovery. In today's episode, we will be discussing the finer details of RTP or return to play protocols and how to manage the delicate balance between healing and returning to daily activities. Doctor Olson highlights the differences in special considerations in working with elite level athletes versus recreational or youth athletes, and he will also discuss the important role that hormones and blood pressure can have in recovery from a TBI. Finally, he will guide us through the RTP formula.

His structured approach for getting athletes back in the game safely, focusing on gradual increases in activity and constant monitoring. So grab something to take notes with and be sure to hit the save button. This is one you'll definitely wanna listen to more than once. Let's dive in.

Now we're going to get into, all real quick here. This is my this is what I give to the athletes here. Again, my form's slightly outdated and that technically now this this complete rest is 24 to 48 hours. This is considered step 1. So that's why let me see. Step 5 is return to play, whereas now they list this as step 6. But same thing, it just outlines it. And anytime an athlete of mine has to see the concussion, I give them this form, and we just walk through it with them.

And their coach is gonna get 1, mom, dad's gonna get 1, and the school administration is gonna get this form so that they we're all on the same page and following the same plan. Some barriers to recovery. Okay. Could there be genetic barriers, age differences? Really, what we're seeing is couple barriers are neurodevelopmental FAKTR. Such as, like, ADHD, family history of migraines, or other mental health problems as these can be substantially altered or changed. But our biggest barrier is having or the biggest risk FAKTR if we've had a previous concussion or or a brain injury. A lot of times, we're gonna see those individuals have a little bit harder time progressing through and and returning to their normal state. Severeity of a person's initial symptoms in the 1st day after injury is the strongest predictor.

So what that means is if you diagnose someone with concussion, but their symptoms are on the fence, like, you know, I don't know if it is. This is if it is, it's very mild. You maybe have a 2 out of 10 headache, and he also don't know. Is that just from, like, your your skull hurts from the hip type of thing? You know, or or again, they they have all the signs and symptoms above concussion. That's gonna tell us a lot, how fast you're gonna recover. So you can you can use those as pretty good predictive indicators as you're as you start to manage this. And factors eating recovery is there's more and more literature out cardiovascular exercise, which is why after that 24 to 48 hours, we wanna start getting them up and getting them moving a little bit, get that metabolic rate increased. And I'm also seeing more more and more literature on b 12, and specifically, a lot lot of times I'm seeing more providers just give them the whole b complex to aid in their recovery, but there is indication that b 12 is gonna help improve our nerve neuronal repair and and restore our nerve function.

But, again, rest primary treatment in that 24 to 48 hours, and then move into rehabilitation specific to this function. That's gonna be completely different. I I'll be talking about concussion management at the upcoming TCC convention. We're gonna gear a little bit more into some of that rehabilitation standpoint. So if you're interested in tuning to that, that's gonna be good. But there's there's 3 types of post concussion, and that's cervicogenic, physiologic, and vestibular ocular. So from a cervicogenic standpoint, chiropractors, is if they're looking at into, like, rehabbing it fit in well there. If they're following the fist to be ocular, they may need to see rehab specialist.