One year since it launched, the Concussion Clinic at the Royal North Shore Hospital is helping children and young people on their recovery journeys.
Maddy Corbett has always been athletic and has played multiple sports over the course of her life.
Last year, Maddy was confronted with a series of concussions sustained while playing AFL and rugby, which found her experiencing ongoing bouts of concussion symptoms.
The student began visiting the Concussion Clinic at Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) to identify, treat and manage her symptoms.
“I was experiencing a range of different symptoms like dizziness, irritation, confusion, lack of comprehension and social anxiety – to name a few,” the 22-year-old said.
“It had me really worried and I was really struggling.
“The clinic really validated what I was going through and offered me solutions.”
Maddy credited the multidisciplinary nature of the clinic for the effectiveness of her recovery.
“Being able to receive advice from a neurologist, a neuropsychologist, and a clinical nurse consultant was extremely helpful,” she said.
“Vicki Evans, and doctors Miriam Priglinger and Vince Oxenham have been nothing short of amazing in my recovery journey.
“The clinic showed me a method that would fit into my daily routine which helped me recover much faster and return to normal much quicker.”
Reflecting on her journey, Maddy encourages anyone who may be experiencing ongoing concussion symptoms to seek help and not suffer alone.
“I would advise anyone suffering post-concussion symptoms to visit your doctor as soon as possible,” she said.
“There are services like the RNSH Concussion Clinic that can make a difficult experience so much better.”
Concussion clinical nurse specialist, Vicki Evans, said it was really important to understand the potential ramifications that could occur if a concussion was not taken seriously. “Symptoms of a concussion should resolve within seven to 10 days, but this multidisciplinary clinic sees patients who are still experiencing symptoms after 10 days,” says Ms Evans.
Feedback from patients and their parents and carers, had shown that a lack of certainty over when it was safe to return to regular activities such as school and sport, was a key element the clinic was trying to address.
“It is important for people to understand the mood disorders that often accompany lingering concussions and which are sometimes downplayed or not well recognised when managing patients with this type of head injury,” Ms Evans says.
Getting a second concussion on top of one that has not been resolved will ‘serve to make things worse,’ she says, urging people not to ‘ignore it or hide it.’ “That is why we established this clinic – to ensure people get the advice they need and cut through all the conflicting information they may receive. It’s also important to remember concussions can happen anywhere – not just in sport.”
The weekly clinic treats school-aged children under 16 as part of a paediatric clinic who obtain their concussion through any method, while an under 45s clinic operates for those who have a sports-related concussion. If symptoms persevere for more than 10 days from initial injury, a general practitioner will be able to refer a patient to the concussion clinic.
With thanks to Northern Sydney Local Health District.