Southeast Georgia Health System issued the following announcement on Aug. 16.
Whether caused by sports or a fall, how well you recover from a concussion determines your quality of life at home, work, school and sports – presently and in the future. Your symptoms may be minor or serious, but one thing is certain: you need a doctor who specializes in concussion treatment and understands how to help you heal. Until now, that level of specialized care was only available in Savannah or Jacksonville.
Lindsey Sweat, M.D., a board-certified family and sports medicine physician, now offers concussion management on Tuesday mornings at Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery in St. Marys.
Sweat also practices at Southeast Georgia Physician Associates-Primary Care in St. Marys. Prior to joining the Southeast Georgia Health System medical staff, Sweat completed a Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship. As a fellow, she worked with athletes from multiple universities, including Clemson University’s football team during their 2017 National Championship season. As one of the primary team physicians, she provided sideline coverage for football games and took care of athletes in the training room.
Additionally, Sweat is a certified ImPACT® consultant, which allows her to provide innovative concussion assessments. “ImPACT provides a quantitative tool to establish baselines for brain functions, such as reaction time, memory processing and other abilities,” Sweat explains. “Historically, concussion management was very subjective, based on a patient’s symptoms. The benefit of ImPACT is that it gives us actual numbers to compare brain function before and after a head injury.”
Who is a Candidate for Concussion Management?
Sweat most commonly sees local athletes and car accident victims, but she treats anyone diagnosed with a concussion. Patients with TRICARE PRIME insurance and some Medicaid plans may need a referral from their primary care provider. During their first appointment, patients will receive general education about concussions as well as an individualized treatment plan for their condition.
“Imagine you have a million plug-ins in your brain. A concussion grabs a handful and unplugs them. Every patient plugs them back in on their own pace. While one person may take two days to recover, another person may take two weeks to recover. And that’s okay,” says Sweat. “Everyone’s different. The point is, we tailor the treatment plan to each individual person. In that way, we’re maximizing each person’s ability to return to their pre-concussion state.”
Sweat also discusses other risk factors. “People with depression, ADHD or other pre-existing neurological conditions may already experience problems with concentration, memory and irritability, so their concussion symptoms may be more severe. We take all of that into account during treatment.”
As a former athlete and current sports enthusiast, deciding to offer concussion management to the community was a natural fit. “I’m highly involved with the local schools and their trainers and coaches. We work as a team, and they regularly update me on the athletes and their health. I’m only a phone call or text away.”
Whether she’s treating sports stars or the next door neighbor, Sweat brings compassion and expertise to Camden County. “I hope my clinic makes concussion care easier and more accessible for patients and families.”
To schedule an appointment with Sweat, call 912-576-6355.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Southeast Georgia Health System
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