Local school officials look to solve the concussion treatment problem

Concussions. They can occur in almost any sport. Sometimes all it takes is a light blow to the head or a fall on the playing field, but the road back to recovery can be riddled with hurdles.

“One of the biggest problems we’re having with concussions is the recognition and identification of them,” said Ben Waples, the head athletic trainer at Snow Hill High School. “Once the kids started to figure out that I’ll be missing at least a week, a week to 10 days of practice and games, I don’t know that I want to tell the truth and be completely honest.”

Waples tells 47 ABC that some student-athletes will do anything to stay on the field, even if it means lying about the symptoms they’re feeling. In which case the trainers have to lead by example.
“We’ve been there for a while. We know the kids. When they’re not being honest with us, we have that ability to say and sit down and have a conversation with them and say look, we need you to be honest.”

Per year, Waples says somewhere between 15 and 20 Snow Hill student-athletes are diagnosed with concussions with most taking place in football, soccer and wrestling. But even if diagnosed there’s no guaranteed smooth recovery.

That was the case with Ruth Baker’s son Ben. He suffered a concussion a few years back while playing basketball.
“It took 7 or 8 months to really figure out that Ben was not recovering the way he should,” said Baker.

Lack of communication among parents, teachers, coaches and trainers is often cited as a factor in delayed recovery.

For example, if a student-athlete is sensitive to the lights in a classroom or cannot focus, an adult, whether it be a teacher or school nurse needs to know so the symptom can be properly addressed.

These types issues were addressed Monday by national expert Doctor Gerard Gioia.

He’s looking to implement things such as concussion management teams which consist of school officials, medical professionals and coaches, as well as creating symptom profiles for each kid with a concussion that would be shared with the school and family.

Dr. Gioia says he hopes to open up a concussion clinic on the eastern shore in the fall.