Concussion therapies help athletes return to baseline

While most concussions resolve on their own, for some, symptoms can last months, and now new treatment options in North Texas might be able to help.

The Parker Performance Institute in Frisco combines traditional neurological treatments with state-of-the-art rehabilitation technology.

The therapeutic programs target a person’s cognition and memory, eye movement control, awareness of body position and movement, and balance control, which are commonly compromised in people who have experienced concussion.

20-year-old Cameron Mitton sought services after suffering a football career-ending concussion a few months ago.

Symptoms, like feeling sluggish, confused and just “feeling down,” persisted.

"I just wasn't feeling myself and I just knew some wasn't right," said Mitton.

In his program, he does exercise therapy, cognitive training, plus vision therapy & vestibular therapy, which include sessions in a GyroStim, a computer-controlled, multi-axis rotating chair integrated with an interactive laser targeting system.

"If someone complains of dizziness, or if they have vertigo, or if they're just feeling off and their balance may be altered due to vestibular component to their concussion, we can use the gyrostim to help upregulate those systems in the brain to help get them to start to work better," said Doctor of Chiropractic for Parker Performance Institute Dr. Leonard Wright.

Dr. Wright says while there's still mystery surrounding traumatic brain injuries, treatments have come a long way.

"Most concussions do self-resolve about 80-85% of concussions do self-resolve, which is good but there are those lingering symptoms and the ones that don't get addressed, they linger and they can linger for months, even years," said Wright.

Mitton is several weeks into his program and said he feels improvement and is eager for a full recovery.

"Like, just being able to hang out with my friends and just enjoy the simple things, you know? It's kind of the things that you take for granted in life, just the simple things," said Mitton.

According to The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, in 2022, 2.3 million people under age 17 suffered a concussion or brain injury.