Let’s Move Quad Cities Get Fit blogger, Cody Lichthardt, carries the ball for the Geneseo Little League Football Chiefs in 7th grade.

By Let’s Move Quad Cities Get Fit blogger, Cody Lichthardt, CPT

The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler, and kids are back in school, which means fall sports are underway.

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, partly because of the many fond memories I have of playing football as a youngster. 

During my playing days, there was little talk of concussions (which are a type of traumatic brain injury from a sudden impact or jolting of the head). 

However, today, teams, parents, and health care experts are much more aware of concussions and their potential impact on athletes.

While an athlete can suffer a concussion during other seasons, American Football is the sport associated with the most traumatic brain injuries according to The Epidemiology of Sport-Related Concussion.

Here in the Quad Cities, there is a new system available for health care professionals to better evaluate and manage concussions. It’s called C3 Logix, an iPad app.

Cody poses for his Geneseo Little League Football Chiefs portrait in 5th grade.

C3 Logix creates a baseline of initial balance, reaction time, memory, and vision (Alleman High School is using the system). The baseline test results are then compared to test results following a blow to the head. It lets you get a better picture of what’s going on.

C3 Logix is already giving concerned parents peace of mind here in the Quad Cities.

Rock Valley Physical Therapy Athletic Trainer, Jenna DeHoet, says, “C3 Logix is being used to test all student athletes at Alleman High School.”

Concussion Symptoms, Prevention

The staff at Mayo Clinic advises the signs and symptoms of a concussion may be subtle and not immediately apparent.

The most common symptoms include: headache, loss of memory (amnesia) and confusion.

Experts recommend that an athlete with a suspected concussion not return to play until he or she has been medically evaluated by a health care professional trained in evaluating and managing concussions.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for concussions, but there is something that can be done to help prevent them.

“Proper strength and conditioning, especially involving muscles of the neck, is a good preventative measure,” says Performance Enhancement Specialist, Caleb Robertson.

We conduct concussion baseline testing and monitoring systems in many Quad-City area schools, such as Alleman High School. Learn more!

Cody Lichthardt is a Performance Enhancement Specialist at Quad City Sport Performance and a Certified Personal Trainer at Rock Valley Health. Cody works to help others gain the benefits of training and proper nutrition. You can read Cody’s bio and other blog posts by clicking here.