• New York
  • |
  • New Jersey

Sports Related TBI Treatment Doctors in Brooklyn, NYC & NJ

Sports are risky, but that’s one of the reasons that many people enjoy the competition. At the same time, even with the right safety precautions, you can experience a serious injury, like a traumatic brain injury (TBI). While you can’t prevent all sports injuries, the riskier the sport you play, the more important it is to know where to find a sports injury specialist. In the NY and NJ area, call a sports injury doctor near me at Neuro Injury Specialists to ensure you get the best diagnosis and treatment.

Table of contents

    What Sports Increase the Risk of Head Injuries?

    Sports Related TBI Treatment Doctors in BrooklynParticipating in sports is a great way to stay active, but sports can lead to injuries that range from mild to extremely devastating. When the head is injured, damage may be especially catastrophic. Contact sports such as boxing, hockey and football put players at high risk of head, neck and brain injuries. Sports with a high risk of falls such as gymnastics and cheerleading can also trigger head injuries.

    A sports injury doctor is specially trained in evaluating injuries that occur from participating in sports. If you’re looking for a shese include:ports injury specialist in New York or New Jersey, Neuro Injury Specialists can help. Dr. Dvoskin specializes in pain management and physical medicine and rehabilitation and Dr. Reyfman specializes in anesthesiology and pain management. Both doctors have extensive experience in the field of sports injury treatment.

    What Increases the Risk of Sports Injuries?

    Sports injuries aren’t always predictable, but there are certain things that increase the risk of being injured while participating in athletics.

    These include:

    • Not warming up before exercising or playing a sport
    • Jumping or running on hard surfaces
    • Not wearing the proper protective equipment
    • Increasing intensity too quickly
    • Overtraining
    • Insufficient conditioning

    Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated when participating in sports or other strenuous activities. Rest when you’re tired and avoid overdoing it. If you’ve been injured, make sure the injury has healed before resuming participation. Your sports injury specialist monitors your progress after you’re injured and gives you the go-ahead when you can resume playing.

    What Are the Most Common Sports Injuries?

    Sports injuries aren’t limited to professional athletes or athletes who participate regularly in sporting competitions. In fact, weekend warriors who go full steam after sitting at a desk all week are at high risk of needing sports injury treatment.

    Minor injuries are common among people who play sports occasionally and periodically attempt to do more than their body is accustomed to. Children and adolescents are at high risk of sports injuries, often because they think they are invincible or don’t know about the inherent risks in many sporting activities.

    Examples of the most common sports injuries include:

    • Muscle strains and sprains
    • Fractures
    • Dislocations and other joint injuries
    • Head injuries

    Sports injury treatment for minor injuries such as sprains and strains usually starts with rest after seeing a top neurologist to ensure there isn’t any major internal harm. Prop up the area that’s affected and use ice. Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen may reduce swelling and pain.

    Head Hits: The Hidden Danger in Sports

    What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?

    A traumatic brain injury (TBI)  is one of the most common injuries that can be triggered by participation in sports. Some of these injuries are relatively minor, but others can cause massive damage to the brain and may result in death.

    Damage to the brain can happen from accidents such as when:

    • The head is jolted and the brain hits against the inside of the skull
    • An object pierces the skull and damages brain tissue

    A TBI may affect just one area of the brain or more than one area. When there’s no break in the skull, it’s known as a closed brain injury. A penetrating injury can cause a break in the skull.

    Types of brain injury include:

    • Concussion. This is considered a mild TBI.
    • Diffuse axonal injury. When the head is violently jolted, there can be tears in the connections of the brain, causing injury to more than one area of the brain.
    • Brain contusion. In this type of injury, the brain itself is bruised and there may be bleeding and swelling.
    • Coup contrecoup. Jarring of the brain can cause injuries at the site of the trauma and on the opposite side of the brain.

    Anyone who has an accident that affects the head should be closely watched. When you play a risky sport, know where you can find the best sports injury doctor near me. Symptoms may not appear for a few days. If any signs of a brain injury happen after your head has been injured, get a thorough examination and diagnostic testing.

    What Are the Signs of a Concussion or Mild TBI?

    Concussions are extremely common sports injuries. This type of mild TBI can also be caused by a fall or a cycling or car accident.

    Signs of a concussion include:

    • Drowsiness
    • Headache
    • Nausea or vomiting
    • Confusion
    • Dizziness
    • Blurred vision
    • Loss of consciousness
    • Difficulty sleeping

    As many as one in 10 athletes experience a concussion during a sports season. Signs of a concussion don’t always happen immediately after an injury. A mild TBI affects brain cells on a temporary basis. Repeated concussions may lead to complications, second impact syndrome or neurological problems later in life.

    What Are the Signs of a Moderate to Severe TBI?

    A more serious TBI may have the same symptoms as a mild TBI. As a mild concussion may cause you to lose consciousness for a few minutes, a severe TBI can cause you to be in a coma for days or longer.

    And there may be additional symptoms, such as:

    • Seizures
    • Worsening headache
    • Dilation of one or both pupils in the eye
    • Loss of coordination
    • Slurred speech
    • Agitation or behavioral changes
    • Cognitive problems such as memory loss

    A person who has a severe TBI may fall asleep for several hours and it may be difficult to wake them up. Clear fluids may drain from the eyes or nose. Symptoms of a severe TBI can worsen quickly and may lead to very serious consequences and even death.

    What’s Involved in Sports Injury Treatment for a TBI?

    Sports injury treatment is customized to each individual based on the location of the injury and its severity. A mild to moderate TBI may be treated at home with rest and may require time off from work, school or sports.

    Sports injury treatment of a more severe TBI may include:

    • Pain management
    • Rehabilitation with physical therapy, occupational therapy, vocational training or communication skills
    • Surgery to treat bleeding in the brain
    • Cognitive behavioral therapy to help you cope with the injury

    If you have a mild TBI, you probably will be able to return to pre-injury functioning in a short amount of time. Talk to your NY and NJ physician to find out how long you should wait before resuming normal activities, including participating in your sport. It may take much longer to recover from more serious injuries, and the impact of severe TBIs and other sports injures may be permanent.

    Don’t try to judge the severity of a concussion or other sports injury yourself. In the greater NYC area, contact the sports injury doctors at Neuro Injury Specialists for a thorough evaluation, accurate diagnosis and the most up-to-date sports injury treatment near me.