With the beginning of the school year near and sports practices already underway, medical professionals are reminding athletes to take precautions against concussions.
"Baseline Concussion Testing" has been offered for years but is gaining in popularity, according to Aurora Health Care's Athletic Trainer Danielle Lueck.
Lueck spends her time working with the Whitefish Bay High School football team. She is there to educate players about concussions and look out for any signs a player may have one after a hard hit.
"People are becoming a lot more cognizant of head injuries and things you can go about to prevent or decrease the risk of sustaining one and having repeated trauma," Lueck said.
Baseline Concussion Testing is a 20 to 45-minute computerized test of the athlete's cognizant abilities. Lueck said, "It's basically going to take their current knowledge and abilities and use that as a score to compare to in the event that they sustain a concussion."
The data can then be used to find courses of treatment and determine how quickly a player can return to the game.
The Centers for Disease Control recommend players get the test every two years. Aurora offers baseline testing at its Sports Health locations free of charge, or you can check with your local provider.
READ: CDC FAQ's on Baseline Testing
