[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/07\/zacks-concussion-story\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/07\/zacks-concussion-story\/","headline":"Zack’s Story: Canadian College Student Finds Concussion Relief","name":"Zack’s Story: Canadian College Student Finds Concussion Relief","description":"\u201cThe testimonials were a major factor for me when I was looking into the program \u2014 just to see others in the same situation recovering.” \u2013Zack The Challenge: Back-to-Back-to-Back Concussions Ottawa native Zack had just begun his first semester of college in 2016 when he sustained his first serious concussion. Studying economics and political science […]","datePublished":"2021-07-30","dateModified":"2023-04-17","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/sports-medicine-regions","name":"Sports Medicine","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/sports-medicine-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/sports-medicine\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/PenileImplants.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/PenileImplants.jpg","height":1334,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/07\/zacks-concussion-story\/","about":["Concussion","Health Topics A-Z","Sports Medicine","UPMC Stories"],"wordCount":889,"articleBody":"\u201cThe testimonials were a major factor for me when I was looking into the program \u2014 just to see others in the same situation recovering.” \u2013ZackThe Challenge: Back-to-Back-to-Back ConcussionsOttawa native Zack had just begun his first semester of college in 2016 when he sustained his first serious concussion. Studying economics and political science at Dalhousie University in Halifax, he went out for homecoming night. The next morning, he woke up feeling disoriented and confused, and with a splitting headache. He realized immediately that he must have hit his head.\u201cI had concussions from rugby and hockey in high school, but I always felt better in a few days. This was different,” says Zack.The symptoms lingered for weeks, prompting Zack to go home to Ottawa to recover. When he returned to school, still felt \u201cslightly off.” In January 2017, Zack fell backwards off a chair and hit his head again. The symptoms returned and forced him to take a semester off from school.He gradually started to feel better. While playing pickup basketball with friends a month later, he was accidentally elbowed in the back of the head. \u201cI was immediately nauseous,” says Zack. \u201cThe headaches, disorientation, and eyestrain came back and continued for several months.”Zack’s Path to UPMC for Concussion TreatmentHe was diagnosed with a concussion by his primary doctor and told to avoid the overstimulating activities that could trigger his symptoms. But Zack didn’t get better.\u201cI had this never-ending barrage of symptoms and just felt like I was in limbo,” Zack says.He tried all types of treatment options \u2014 chiropractic care, massage therapy, ophthalmology \u2014 even some he considered to be \u201cnot guaranteed or alternative”. Each specialist focused only on their area of expertise. Zack waited for results, but they did not come.By late summer of 2017, he was doing more online research and hoping to return to school in September. That’s how he discovered the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program and read about treatments that meet a concussion head-on.\u201cThe testimonials were a major factor for me when I was looking into the program \u2014 just to see others in the same situation recovering,” Zack says. He called UPMC and spoke with the concussion team.They provided a cost estimate for his treatment in the United States and helped with his travel plans. \u201cIt was pretty seamless; they made it easy,” Zack says.The Solution: Traveling to Pittsburgh for Active TreatmentIn October 2017, Zack, a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, touched down in Pittsburgh. He was excited to catch a game \u2014 and to visit the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program. Clinical and executive director Micky Collins, PhD and his team of concussion specialists met with Zack to talk through the process. They also conducted a comprehensive series of diagnostic tests, including having him run on a treadmill and perform tasks to track his eye movements.They diagnosed him with a vestibular concussion and prescribed an active treatment plan. It consisted of gradually exposing him to stimuli that made him uncomfortable \u2014 bright light, loud noise, and overcrowded areas \u2014 and anything that made him think really hard. That gradual exposure retrains the brain to adapt to the sights, sounds, and activities of daily life.Zack practiced his treatment during a short stay at the clinic before returning home to Canada, where he worked hard to push himself. Zack traveled back to Pittsburgh in November 2017 for a check-in, and kept in touch with the concussion team over the phone.\u201cI really appreciated the proactive treatment and being able to play such an active role in my recovery,” he says. \u201cDr. Collins had a straightforward approach \u2014 making it clear up front that I’d have to work hard and push myself. Feeling like it’s getting worse before it gets better is all part of the process. UPMC helped instill this mindset in me to just go hard; I really credit my doctors with that.”The Results: Getting Worse Before Getting BetterContinuing to follow his treatment plan at home, Zack forced his brain to readjust to homework and busy days on campus. Reaching his goal \u2014 to return to school for the spring 2018 semester \u2014 was far from easy. But after months of gradually pushing himself, the symptoms resolved late that spring. While occasional headaches or fogginess still occurred, Zack considered himself able to do anything he liked without thinking about his concussion.\u201cEvery specialist I had gone to before had a certain focus in trying to resolve my symptoms,” Zack says. \u201cThe eye doctor thought it was a sight issue and the chiropractor a spine issue. What I found was that UPMC focused on a multitude of sources \u2014 vestibular, ocular, cognitive, neck, etc. It was so comprehensive and beneficial to my recovery.”Zack graduated from Dalhousie University in spring 2021 and plans to attend law school. Unfortunately, he received another blow to the head in early 2021. COVID-19 made the decision to travel to Pittsburgh more difficult. Fortunately, he was able to connect with the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program team via telemedicine.\u201cI really want to stress the importance of being proactive and pushing against your symptoms,” Zack says. \u201cYou get the most treatment from this program and really maximize your recovery by doing that.”Visit our website to learn more or call us at 412-432-3681 for an appointment."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2021","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"07","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/\/07\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Zack’s Story: Canadian College Student Finds Concussion Relief","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/07\/zacks-concussion-story\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]