Coaches Learn Less Rest Could Help Concussion Treatment at JCH&L

BEATRICE - Concussion prevention and treatment has been a big point of emphasis for many athletic coaches and medical personnel in recent years. Travis Kostal presented new studies and findings on the subject at Jefferson Community Health & Life in Fairbury this afternoon. The Doctor of Physical Therapy displayed a powerpoint and talked about some new methods that could help athletes heal more rapidly from concussions. According to a recent study done by the University of Buffalo, resting more than 24-48 hours without any activity can actually increase symptoms. Coaches and athletic directors from area schools including Fairbury and Diller-Odell were in attendance. "Oh, I think one of the biggest things is just being able to diagnose it on the sidelines. Smaller schools like us don't normally have an athletic trainer on the sidelines, so it's put on us as coaches to really diagnose that for the kids. Then, to just follow up like they said for 24-48 hours, letting parents know that this happened," said Diller-Odell Football Coach, Chris Schluter. According to Kostal's presentation, Traumatic Brain Injury's number one cause is motor vehicle accidents (42%). Sports related incidents was fourth on the list at 6-10%.