Between May 16th and May 27th physical therapists and athletic trainers with the Mid-Maryland Musculoskeletal Institute (MMI) and Pivot Physical Therapy will perform more than 250 concussion screens for Antietam United, the Washington County youth soccer league for boys and girls age 10 to 16.
Head injuries are on the rise in athletes of all ages, with a noticeable increase among middle schoolers. MMI and Pivot evaluators will use the SCAT 3 (Standard Concussion Assessment Tool) to establish a baseline for memory, cognition, balance and coordination which can be used in case of a concussion injury during a practice or game. Similar testing can be done on the sideline if a concussion is suspected. Those sideline results can then be compared with the baseline test results obtained by MMI and Pivot and will go to the child’s primary care physician should follow up be necessary.
MMI, the region’s largest orthopaedic and sports medicine group, is partnering with Antietam United as the league’s preferred orthopaedic practice and will provide league players access to quick orthopaedic evaluation and care when injuries occur.
Pivot, a regional physical therapy practice specializing in sports medicine, also provides athletic trainers to most of the region’s high schools. Pivot’s physical therapists and athletic trainers work with athletes of all ages to provide injury prevention services and rehabilitation services when injuries occur.
Up and coming mandates for youth and high school sports programs are making concussion screenings like those performed this week more prevalent, providing an invaluable clinical tool in the evaluation of these young athletes when head injuries occur.