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Sep 19, 2019 / Sports Medicine

Keeping Up - Concussion Management Updates

Shane M. Miller, M.D., has been treating young athletes with concussions in North Texas for more than 10 years. He has shared some latest changes in the approach to caring for these kids in a recent interview. Watch the Facebook live segment.


Here are a few key messages he explained:

  • Early care includes active recovery. For a while, there was a belief that absolute rest was necessary. Now we know it’s safe to get them:
    • Back to school quickly – as soon as the athlete can tolerate the work load and the school is able to support the athlete.
    • To move soon – we don’t send them back to sports quickly, but starting controlled activity that does not worsen symptoms is helping, and not hurting recovery.
  • We are seeing improvements in the ability to collaborate with schools to get kids back to learning quickly.
  • We continue to see challenges with athletes under-reporting their symptoms and injuries.
    • About 40% of our patients tell us they continued playing their sport following a concussion.
    • Our team, and national programs like Team Up, Speak Up, are working to encourage players, coaches and parents to speak up.
    • We want to change the culture because we know that early recognition and proper removal is associated with reducing symptoms and symptom severity for young athletes. Athletes need support from their coaches regarding their position on the team and respect even if they report their symptoms.
  • Everyone must work together. We have laws that govern education and processes, but at the end of the day, anyone who is concerned an athlete has sustained a concussion should take action to protect a young athlete.
Miller says, “The sooner we are aware of the injury, the sooner we can get the athlete on the right path to recovery.” We hope we are making a difference.

Learn more about sport-related concussions from Miller's recent interview with the Texas Orthopaedic Association. 
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