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While sports neurologists focus on treating brain and nerve injuries during athletics, we also help children with neurological conditions safely participate in physical activities.
Supporting your child's movement translates into benefits you may not expect: Athletics improve brain function and learning skills.
THINK Neurology for Kids specializes in sports neurology. Our entire compassionate team — Shaun S. Varghese, MD, Cristina R. Marchesano, MD, Lorena Herbert, MD, Barbara Kiersz-Mueller, DO, Lauren Weaver, MD, Alicia Walls, MD, Sundeep Mandava, MD, Patricia DeForest, DO, Robby Korah, FNP-C, Jennifer E. Martin, CPNP-PC, Tammy DeLaGarza, FNP-C, and Heather King, CPNP-PC — works together to help each child achieve optimal wellness so they can enjoy their favorite activities.
Here, you'll learn three ways sports neurology improves performance:
1. Supporting athletic involvement
One of sports neurology's most beneficial and enjoyable aspects is helping children with neurological conditions participate in athletics.
Staying active improves their overall health and boosts self-esteem. But kids gain more than that. There’s also a direct connection between regular physical movement and brain health.
Engaging in athletics enhances nerve communication and cognitive function. An active life supports neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to build new nerve connections in response to experiences and learning.
Exercise can help improve learning and executive function skills. Executive function refers to brain processes that help kids (and adults) regulate their emotions, make plans, and engage in goal-directed behavior.
Kids with concussions, traumatic brain injuries, and neurodevelopmental conditions like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder struggle with executive function.
As sports neurology supports their ability to exercise and stay involved in physical activities, it may also help improve executive function skills.
We help children keep moving by creating personalized treatment plans, providing guidelines to ensure their safe participation, and recommending sports accommodations when needed.
2. Managing sports-related neurologic injuries
One of our primary responsibilities is diagnosing and treating sports-related neurological injuries. While all neurologists treat these injuries, sports neurology provides a unique focus.
Sports neurology focuses on the long-term care needed to prevent permanent nerve or brain damage while planning the steps to return children to their favorite activities. Most importantly, we aim to ensure their safe participation and avoid future injuries.
Sports neurology also plays a vital role in rehabilitating children and teens involved in competitive sports. We help them regain the cognitive and nerve function needed to stay active.
This aspect of sports neurology (managing neurologic injuries) helps your child perform better by preparing them to participate at their optimal ability.
3. Improving performance
Providing neurological care, supporting your child's health, and helping them join athletics all contribute to better sports performance. However, sports neurology boosts performance in another way.
Athletics and the brain share a two-way connection. As we already mentioned, exercise improves brain function. However, improving neurologic brain function also affects sports performance.
An athlete's brain must rapidly process numerous pieces of information and make split-second decisions. Sports neurology helps them achieve optimal brain function.
However, children don’t need to aspire to competitive sports to benefit from neurological and cognitive training that improves their brain process speed, reaction time, and decision-making abilities.
Sports neurology also helps children optimize neuromuscular performance and improve concentration, coordination, balance, and overall athletic ability.
Curious about sports neurology?
Call the THINK Neurology for Kids office in The Woodlands, Katy, Sugar Land, Austin, San Antonio, or Gulf Coast, Texas, to schedule a consultation and learn how sports neurology may help your child.