Concussion Archives - Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists

Youth Rugby Safety Talk

Posted on April 29, 2016

ONS SPORTS MEDICINE SPECIALIST MARC S. KOWALSKY, MD, TO SPEAK ABOUT YOUTH RUGBY SAFETY ON MAY 4

Dr. Marc Kowalsky will discuss safe participation in youth rugby, the fastest growing sport among young athletes in the United States.

The informative lecture for coaches, players and parents of players presented by the Rye Rugby Club will take place on Wednesday, May 4 beginning at 7 pm at the Rye High School Performing Arts Center at One Parsons Street in Rye New York.

Dr. Kowalsky will draw from his extensive experience caring for rugby players at every level of competition in this discussion of strategies for injury prevention. Topics will include optimal diet and nutrition, as well as strength and conditioning in these athletes. Dr. Kowalsky will also touch on the value of protective equipment in youth rugby. The critical role of coaching and officiating in maintaining safety of the game will be covered, as will prevention and management of concussion. The importance of collaboration among parents, coaches, trainers, and physicians will be addressed as well.

A former rugby player, Dr. Kowalsky serves as team physician for the USA Rugby National Team, the White Plains Rugby Football Club, Iona College Rugby Football Club, and the CT State Champion Greenwich High School Rugby Team.

Kids and Concussions

Posted on March 11, 2016

IT TAKES A TEAM TO TREAT KIDS WITH CONCUSSIONS, PANEL CONCLUDES.

ONS physicians Paul Sethi, MD and Scott Simon, MD, took part in an important panel discussion for parents about kids and concussions at Greenwich High School on Wednesday night. If you missed this event, presented by ONSF, you can read about the highlights in the Greenwich Time here.

“Knowing your steps, resources and who to call and who to identify can really reduce the anxiety of the student and the family,” said panelist Dr. Paul Sethi, an orthopedic surgeon who is the team physician for Greenwich High. “You become empowered by understanding and when you know who’s on your team to help shepherd you through this event.”

While the best responses for responding to concussions have become clearer in recent years, panelist Dr. Scott Simon, a neurosurgeon, said preventing head injuries is a complex task. Some best practices, he said, include teaching heads-up tackling in football.

Dr. Steven Hindman to discuss Fall and Injury Prevention, Thursday, February 25

Posted on February 24, 2016

Did you know that falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI)?

From 2006–2010, falls were the leading cause of TBI, accounting for 40% of all brain injuries in the United States that resulted in an ED visit, hospitalization, or death, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Elderly adults and young children are the most likely to suffer falling accidents.

Falling out of bed or from a ladder, slipping in the bath or down a flight of stairs, and almost any other fall can result in a severe blow to the head that damages brain cells, blood vessels and protective tissue around the brain. Bleeding in the brain, swelling and blood clots can interfere with the oxygen supply to the brain, which can cause widespread damage.

You can learn how to prevent falls and protect yourself or your loved one by joining Dr. Steven Hindman on Thursday, January 25 at 6:30 pm when he discusses fall prevention strategies at Sunrise Senior Living, 251 Turn of River Road in Stamford. Refreshments will be served.

ONS Featured in Greenwich Sentinel

Posted on January 25, 2016

You can learn about the early days of ONS and the philosophy that made us the most comprehensive and advanced practice the region. The writer, Sara Poirier Correa, did an excellent job explaining that with 22 top sub-specialty trained physicians, ONS is able to provide personalized services to patients. The article also highlights the Women’s Sports Medicine Center and the ONS Foundation for Clinical Research and Education, which has published internationally and competes among researchers at larger universities such as Harvard, Yale, and Johns Hopkins. http://bit.ly/1PNTkfh

ONS Foundation Along With NFL Alumni Chapter Held Concussion Talk at Greenwich Library

Posted on November 18, 2013

Concussions are the hot topic in the NFL and on high school and college campuses across the country with ongoing concern about the brain health of players of contact sports.

The ONS Foundation wants to raise awareness about the risk of concussion and help educate high school athletes about concussion signs and symptoms. According to neurosurgeon Dr. Scott Simon of the ONS Foundation, concussions are the most common type of brain injury sustained in sports and most concussions do NOT involve loss of consciousness.

Where: Cole Auditorium at Greenwich Library
When: Tuesday, November 19th, 2013 @ 7:00 pm

For more information, click the link below:
http://www.onsfoundation.org/home/concussions/

ONS Foundation Discussion: Concussion Prevention & Management Strategies for Youth Athletes

Posted on November 8, 2013

On Tuesday, November 19th, 2013 at 7:00pm at the Cole Auditorium at Greenwich Library, The ONS Foundation and the NFL Alumni Chapterwill present a free seminar on Youth Sports Concussion Awareness and Prevention. The Greenwich Branch of Wells Fargo Advisors is pleased to sponsor the ONSF/CT NFL Alumni Chapter Concussion Seminar.

Concussions are a hot topic in the NFL and in high schools and colleges across the country with particular concern about the brain health of players of contact sports. The ONS Foundation and the NFL Alumni Connecticut Chapter want to raise awareness and educate parents and coaches of youth athletes about the signs and symptoms of concussion.

The discussion will cover the latest information on concussion management on the field, in the doctor’s office and what parents/coaches/teachers need to know to support recovery from concussion.

Speakers include:
Tim Hasselback– ESPN Analyst, retired NFL Quarterback: Greenwich Youth Football Coach

Steve Thurlow– President NFL Alumni CT Chapter- Retired Running Back for the Redskins and New York Giants

Panelists Include:
President of the ONS Foundation, ONS Orthopedic Surgeon and Sports Medicine Specialist, Paul M. Sethi, MD

Tricia McDonough Ryan, PhD

ONS Spine Surgery Specialist Mark Camel, MD.

Kindly RSVP to Kelly McCory, NFL Alumni CT Chapter at m3kellymc@aol.com

Concussion Expertise at ONS

Posted on September 24, 2012

Concussions are a hot topic in the NFL as well on high school and college campuses in our area. In fact, concussion is the most common type of brain injury sustained in sports and most concussions do NOT involve loss of consciousness. Parents, coaches and physicians are concerned about the potential long term and even permanent damage that may result from a concussion.

“Many people don’t realize that you can sustain a concussion even if you do NOT hit your head,” said neurosurgeon Dr. Scott Simon. “Multiple concussions can have cumulative and long-lasting life consequences.”

Greenwich Post reporter Paul Silverfarb recently wrote a 3-part article on youth sports concussion. Here are links to his article:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three

To consult an ONS specialist about a concussion, ask for an appointment with any of the following physicians:

Mark Camel, MD – Neurosurgeon
Paul Apostolides, MD – Neurosurgeon
Amory Fiore, MD – Neurosurgeon
Scott Simon, MD – Neurosurgeon
Gloria Cohen, MD – Non-operative sports medicine physician
Katie Vadasdi, MD – Orthopedic surgeon, sports medicine specialist

To learn how concussion can be properly diagnosed and managed, click on the following links on the ONS Foundation:

To arrange to have a concussion injury prevention seminar presented in your school or community group, contact the ONS Foundation at (203) 869-3131.

Concussion Management Update from Peter Falla, ATC

Posted on August 24, 2011

With fall sports getting underway, area athletic trainers (ATs) will soon be busy tending to the health care needs of student athletes. In addition to the everyday sports medicine responsibilities of treating injuries and managing rehab, recognition and care of concussions has become an important focus of healthcare professionals on the field. Concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries that are the result of rapid deceleration of the brain within the skull. The injury is characterized by alteration in brain function. It often takes several weeks to recover from a concussion and the process may negatively affect the student athlete both socially and academically. However, the addition of ImPACT testing has taken some of the guesswork out of concussion management.

ImPACT (Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is a neurocognitive test that is now routinely given to contact-sport athletes during the beginning of the season to establish a baseline. The 25-minute test has been researched extensively and validated for use in high school athletes and is widely used in collegiate and professional sports.

As head athletic trainer for Greenwich High School, I have overseen 1500 baseline tests and seen the benefits of neurocognitive testing first hand. A recent injury of a football player gave me an opportunity to demonstrate why ImPACT is such a useful aid in the neurological evaluation. In this case, despite clearance by the student’s pediatrician and his own insistence that he was feeling “100 percent better,” his post-injury test scores were significantly lower than his baseline, indicating that he was not fully recovered. At a critical point in the season, the pressure to return to the field was immense. I suggested to the family that they hold the player out of sports and serial test him with ImPACT until his numbers improved. Five days later, his scores were almost identical to his baseline and we began a supervised, gradual return-to-play protocol over five days, while closely monitoring his condition. Three weeks passed before healing was complete but he made it back in time to play in the final game of the season.

It is important to remember that ImPACT neurocognitive testing is “one tool in the belt” of those treating concussions and should not alone be used as the deciding factor in return or not-to-return to sports decisions. There is no substitute for a good neurological examination and proper evaluation done by a medical professional who specializes in head injuries.

-Pete Falla

For more information on the Management of Concussion, see this link to the ONS Foundation website.

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Register Now for a Free Sports Concussion Seminar on September 14

Posted on August 24, 2010

Sports Concussion: Know the Facts! a free sports injury prevention seminar for middle and high school-age kids will take place on Tuesday, September 14 at 7 p.m. at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center in Old Greenwich. The program, which is presented by the ONS Foundation for Clinical Research and Education and the OGRCC, is open to students, parents, coaches and trainers. Neurosurgeon Dr. Scott Simon and Greenwich High School athletic trainer and concussion management coordinator/ImPACT test supervisor Peter Falla will discuss the latest concussion management strategies and the ImPACT Test. The seminar is free of charge. Refreshments will be served. Registration is required. Call (203) 637-3659 or email ogrcc.execasst@yahoo.com to register.

The ONS Foundation wants to raise awareness about the risk of concussion and help educate athletes and their parents about concussion signs and symptoms. “Concussions are the hot topic in the NFL and on high school and college campuses across the country,” says Dr. Simon. “Concussion is the most common type of brain injury sustained in sports and most concussions do NOT involve a loss of consciousness. Many people don’t realize that you can sustain a concussion even if you don’t hit your head. Multiple concussions can have cumulative and long-lasting life consequences.” Continue reading “Register Now for a Free Sports Concussion Seminar on September 14” →

(203) 869-1145

Tag: Concussion