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Abstract
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CONTEXT: Despite evidence implicating cervicogenic symptoms in the development of persistent postconcussion symptoms, factors that influence utilization of cervical clinical tests to identify cervicogenic symptoms following concussion are poorly understood.
OBJECTIVE: Explore barriers to the utilization of cervical clinical testing in multifaceted concussion evaluation.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Online survey. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: A total of 122 athletic trainers (AT) (age = 42.6 [6.4] y; female = 51.6%; 52% >10 y of clinical practice; 68% master's degree or greater; 35% treated a minimum of 15 concussions/y). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Perceived importance, clinical experience, number of concussions treated, utilization of cervical clinical tests following nonspecific cervical pathology and following concussion, comfort with cervical treatment modalities following a concussion, and recommendation for cervical-specific therapy to treat persistent postconcussion symptoms.
RESULTS: Ordinal logistic regression revealed perceived importance had the strongest positive impact on AT's likelihood of high utilization of cervical clinical testing following concussion (95% CI,.17 to.99; P =.005), while clinical experience (95% CI, -.43 to.29; P =.71) and number of concussions treated/y (95% CI, -.21 to.31; P =.71) had no bearing. Moreover, low comfort with cervical treatments following a concussion (95% CI, -2.86 to -.26; P =.018) and low utilization of cervical clinical testing following nonspecific cervical pathology (95% CI, -7.01 to -3.39; P ≤.001) had a strong positive impact on high utilization of cervical clinical testing following concussion. Two logistic regression models demonstrated how recommendations for cervical-specific therapy in persistent post-concussion symptom patients could be predicted based on (1) cervical test utilization and (2) perceptions and clinical experience with 79% and 78%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Perceived importance played a major role in utilization of cervical clinical test following concussion. ATs who utilized common cervical treatments when dealing with non-concussive injuries were more likely to utilize those same treatments to treat comorbid cervical pathology following a concussion.
Language: en |