Concussion Specialist, Dr. Alissa Wicklund Featured in Journal of Athletic Training

Dr. Alissa Wicklund, PhD, ABPP-CN was recently recognized by the Journal of Athletic Training for her article Getting Back on the Horse: Sport-Specific Return to Play in Rodeo Athletes After Concussion Injury. 

Despite a high incidence of injury in their sport, rodeo athletes have been underrepresented in the concussion literature. No standard post concussion protocols are available across rodeo organizations for evaluating fitness to return to competition due to unique barriers that complicate the management and treatment of rodeo athletes with concussion. These barriers include the solo nature of the sport, lack of consistent access to health care professionals, and athletic conditioning that often occurs outside of a traditional gym-based exercise regimen. In addition, the rodeo culture encourages a swift return to competition after injury.

Her article reviews literature on concussion in rodeo, examines published guidelines, and offers an active return-to-play (RTP) protocol specific to rodeo athletes.