HeadFirst Sports Injury and Concussion Care Talks to Parents and Coaches About the Importance of Head Injury Awareness

Education is key to protecting student-athletes from the long-lasting effects of concussion

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Righttime Medical Care; HeadFirst Sports Injury and Concussion Care

Jul 25, 2018, 07:40 ET

ANNAPOLIS, Md., July 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With a recent nationwide focus on the safety of children participating in sports programs, HeadFirst Sports Injury and Concussion Care, a program of Maryland-based urgent care Righttime Medical Care, met last week with Frederick County's Glade Valley Athletic Association youth football parents and coaches to discuss concussion awareness and the benefits of baseline neurological testing for student-athletes.

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Maryland-based HeadFirst Sports Injury and Concussion Care offers the ImPACT(R) concussion baseline test at 12 of its locations throughout Maryland. The baseline test is a computerized tool used to establish an individual's reactions and thinking, later used to measure against a second test in the event of a head injury. Testing appointments can be made by calling 1-855-SIT IT OUT (748-4868).
Maryland-based HeadFirst Sports Injury and Concussion Care offers the ImPACT(R) concussion baseline test at 12 of its locations throughout Maryland. The baseline test is a computerized tool used to establish an individual's reactions and thinking, later used to measure against a second test in the event of a head injury. Testing appointments can be made by calling 1-855-SIT IT OUT (748-4868).
HeadFirst Sports Injury and Concussion Care's Stanford Coleman, MD, moves a striped cloth known as an optokinectic nystagmus strip in front of a head trauma patient. This test checks reflexive eye movement to detect the presence of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN), which shows as slowness or inaccuracies in the ability to follow a visual target. The OKN strip is one of several tests administered at HeadFirst Concussion Centers in the case of a suspected concussion.
HeadFirst Sports Injury and Concussion Care's Stanford Coleman, MD, moves a striped cloth known as an optokinectic nystagmus strip in front of a head trauma patient. This test checks reflexive eye movement to detect the presence of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN), which shows as slowness or inaccuracies in the ability to follow a visual target. The OKN strip is one of several tests administered at HeadFirst Concussion Centers in the case of a suspected concussion.

"We want parents and families to understand that we are here for them and their athletes, and that no one has to worry alone about a child with head injuries," said HeadFirst Director of Operations Daniel Pokrifka, LAT, ATC, ITAT. Pokrifka made the presentation along with HeadFirst Education Coordinator Caleb Zecher, MA, LAT, ATC, ITAT.

More than 100 parents and coaches attended the session in the Walkersville Town Hall. Local football coaches participated in the session as part of their concussion education requirement. During the session, Pokrifka and Zecher discussed the warning signs of a concussion, including headaches, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, imbalance, nausea and changes in sleep patterns. The duo also emphasized that a concussion diagnosis is often made up to two days following injury and that only a small percentage of concussions involve a loss of consciousness.

"When in doubt, sit them out," Porifka told the group. "We tell everyone 'You only have one brain for life' and that no one should continue to play after a head injury occurs until the athlete has been evaluated and cleared to return safely by a medical provider."

The HeadFirst Sports Injury Hotline, a direct connection to an on-call physician, is available day, evening and weekends to coaches and athletic trainers who need assistance in performing a sideline evaluation of an injured player and advice for managing head injuries. Information regarding the hotline is available at https://www.myheadfirst.com/sports-injury-hotline.

HeadFirst also offers the ImPACT® neurocognitive baseline test for children. HeadFirst assisted in developing the pediatric version of the ImPACT test and remains one of the few concussion programs that offer it. Appointments for baseline testing for individuals of all ages or for teams are available at any of the 12 Righttime/HeadFirst centers in Maryland by calling 1-855-SIT IT OUT (748-4868).

About HeadFirst Sports Injury and Concussion Care

A service of Righttime Medical Care, HeadFirst Sports Injury and Concussion Care is a community concussion clinic for the diagnosis, management and treatment of mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (mTBI). HeadFirst's services include pre-injury baseline testing for individuals and teams, and post-injury medical evaluations for patients of all ages and walks of life, including plans for a safe return to play, school or work. HeadFirst also offers a Sports Injury Hotline for coaches and athletic trainers by request, and a community concussion awareness speaker's program. For more information, please visit www.myHeadFirst.com.

About Righttime Medical Care

Righttime Medical Care simplifies access to trustworthy medical care at its 16 urgent care locations in Maryland, including its newly opened Potomac Care Center. Caring for patients of all ages for more than 25 years, Righttime holds the Certified Urgent Care designation, which distinguishes it as among the top urgent care centers nationwide. Righttime is open 365 days a year and welcomes walk-in patients anytime, while also offering same-day appointments online or via its Call Center. Convenient services include x-rays, laboratory testing, patient portal, and electronic health records which are shared with patients' physicians, specialists and collaborating medical institutions. For more information, visit myRighttime.com.

Contact: Ann-Marie Sedor, 443-332-4260 x8130

SOURCE Righttime Medical Care; HeadFirst Sports Injury and Concussion Care

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