UPEI supporting students and staff with weekly concussion clinic

A new clinic is now open at UPEIHeath and Wellness Centre in Charlottetownto better support students who have had a concussion.

The clinicwill assist students with rehabilitation after a concussion, ensure patients are recovering properly and reduce the risk of further harm.

"We want to make sure that people who have had concussions return to their normal activities as seamlessly as possible," saidsaid Gail Macartney,assistant professor in UPEI'sFaculty of Nursing and member of the UPEI Concussion Awareness Program Research Team.

"We really want to reduce the risk of second impact syndrome or getting people back to high-risk activities too soon."

Macartney said that they also want toensure that people don't remain sedentary after injury, but take a measured approach to their rehabilitation.

"We seethis kind of downward spiral sometimes, of concussion, where kids are not getting back to their activities or individuals are not getting back to work in a timely fashion and then they start spending to much time at home and they get depressed,"

Free clinic and checkups

The free clinic will beoffered once a week for students and staff. Officials hope the new clinic will help prevent longer term physical and emotional damage in patients.

Students, faculty and staff with a head injury can come in for an assessment andadvice on safely returning totheir normal routine.

They are invited for a follow-up appointment six to eight weeks later.

Macartney said that feedback has already been positive.

"The student that I saw, I saw a bit of relief in his eyes because I gave him the green light to exercise," Macartney said.

"He was thinking he needed to rest.You tell a 22-year-old to go home and rest, they really don't like that too much."

UPEI already has a concussion research program on campus and officials said the clinic will take that work one step further.

"We're constantly looking at how we can prevent, better detect and then better treat any of our students and student athletes who have had a concussion or signs of concussion symptoms," said Chris Huggan, UPEI's director of athletics and recreation.

"So to be able to have this on campus is just another great support."

UPEI plans to expand the program in the new year to allow referralsfrom community care providers, physicians and nurse practitioners.

The university hopes the new clinic will also assist with UPEI'sown concussion research into best practices for concussion treatment.

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