Differential Diagnosis of Dizziness after a Concussion

Concussion is a common injury that is often poorly identified and poorly managed. It can occur with a variety of mechanisms and affects all ages. These injuries can recover on their own but often (10-30%) of individuals will have persistent symptoms. There are a variety of symptoms that can be present after a concussive injury and often dizzinessis one of the most common. There is also research that states that dizziness at the time of injury will have an impact on overall recovery timeline. Research has shown that individualized treatment results in the best outcomes secondary to the multiple systems that are impacted after these injuries. A challenge to concussion management is thatnone of the symptoms that are often reported are unique to the injury itself. It is essential that clinicians who work with client's post-concussion have a clear understanding of the variety of possible contributing factors to the symptompresentation so that they can create a targeted plan ofintervention. This individualized plan and understanding will ensure optimal patient outcomes.

This course will highlight the variety of impairments andsystems that can contribute to dizziness presentation. We will review differential diagnosis as well as targeted interventions to achieve optimal outcomes and patient recovery. The course will present a variety of strategies as well as case studies to help support differential diagnosis strategy. There will also be objective measures including questionnaires, assessments of the cervical spine, vestibular/oculomotor systems and evaluation of the autonomic nervous system.The learner will be able to take these strategies and targeted approach and be able to apply them the next day in the clinic.

Highlights

• Practical assessment and re-assessment strategies as well as interventions for functional deficits, underlying conditions, and co- morbidities
• Improve your client's outcomes and recovery by identifying the potential causes of dizziness after a concussive event
• Best practices to target the appropriate intervention for most successful outcome

Target Audience: Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Athletic Trainers