Ellias is a 17-year-old high school senior that sustained a concussion from a hit during a football playoff game. He was unable to complete the game and did not return the following week due to headaches, photosensitivity, neck pain, difficulty concentrating, and decreased focus with schoolwork. This led Ellias to visit us here at Dynamic Sports Physical Therapy in New York City to address his bothersome symptoms.
After performing a full evaluation of Ellias’ upper spine, as well as his visual and vestibular systems, we noticed several issues related to his spine. In particular, he was experiencing neck pain, limited neck range of motion in the left and forward directions, weakness in certain muscles, and a convergence insufficiency of 21 cm (the normal range is 4-6 cm), which resulted in double vision. Based on this evaluation, Ellias was diagnosed with a concussion and neck pain.
What we did at Dynamic Sports Physical Therapy in New York City to help Ellias improve
Before beginning treatment, Ellias stated that his primary goal was to return to competitive sports. Although the football season has ended by the time he came to us, Ellias stated that his sites were on participating in the upcoming basketball season. In addition, Ellias wanted to be able to complete his schoolwork without headaches, improve his lack of concentration, and no longer deal with neck pain that had been interfering with his sleep.
With this in mind, Ellias was given a home-exercise program that consisted of eye exercises to address his convergence insufficiency. The exercises included pencil pushups and brock string exercises, which are both specifically designed for this condition. We also performed various manual therapies on his neck, which included the Active Release Technique, Graston Technique, and manual traction. Finally, Ellias was given exercises to strengthen the deep cervical muscles of his neck, which he was told to perform every day at home.
After three weeks of home exercises and three sessions of manual therapy, Ellias was able to return to playing basketball pain-free, and was thinking clearly, without headaches. He was taken through a return-to-play protocol by his school’s athletic trainer and was able to play in his team’s basketball season without experiencing any issues.
Ellias had this to say about the results of his treatment: “Thanks to Pete and the team at Dynamic Sports PT, I was able to return to playing all sports,” he said. “Having a concussion is scary stuff, but they gave me confidence and always made me feel that I was going to fully recover.”
Experience the same type of success at Dynamic Sports Physical Therapy in New York City
We are thrilled to see that Ellias was able to return to sports after only three weeks of home exercises and manual therapy. He’s right in saying that having a concussion can be scary, but getting the right treatment for it—and soon—will significantly increase the chances of a successful outcome. So if you’re dealing with concussion symptoms or any other lingering pain from a recent injury, find out how we can help you next. Contact Dynamic Sports Physical Therapy in New York City at 212-317-8303 to schedule an appointment today, or click here to read our last blog on sports-related concussions.
