UPMC Unveils Concussion Resource Website

Pittsburgh’s UPMC and the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program have launched the online destination ReThinkConcussions.com as part of an initiative to raise awareness about scientifically proven treatments currently available for this complex but unseen injury.

The website offers an interactive guide to understanding concussions and features information on concussion therapies and prevalent myths, as well as explains UPMC's multidisciplinary approach to treating six different types of concussions—each carrying its own symptoms and outcomes. Additionally, the site provides insight into patients’ treatment experiences and emotional journeys—including those of professional athletes Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and major league baseball player David Ross—through some of their stories.

“Concussion isn’t something you can detect on a CT scan or an MRI, or with a standard neurologic examination. To ‘see’ this injury you have to know what questions to ask, and our research has shown us this,” said Michael Collins, clinical and executive director of the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program. “By asking the right questions and looking at the right systems in the right way with the right tools, we can put together a very coherent approach to understanding the injury and determining active treatment strategies.That’s the important message for people to know now.”