A CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR PHYSICAL THERAPISTS TREATING ATHLETES WITH PROTRACTED RECOVERY FOLLOWING A CONCUSSION.

Sports-related concussions are receiving growing attention in healthcare. Most concussions resolve spontaneously with little or no treatment, but twenty percent of concussions take longer than three weeks to resolve. In some cases, symptoms can last for five years following a traumatic brain injury. Physical Therapists have unique skills that can assist patients experiencing protracted recovery. The purpose of this clinical commentary is to describe a new conceptual model that provides a framework for Physical Therapy management of patients with protracted recovery following a sports-related concussion. The end product is a visual diagram that represents the full scope of clinical practice that Physical Therapy can provide to an athlete following a concussion. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5.