In Nebraska, sports aren’t just an after-school activity. They’re part of who we are. From Saturday morning youth football leagues and competitive soccer clubs to packed Friday night high school stadiums across Omaha Public Schools, Millard, and Westside, to the deep-rooted Husker tradition that fills Memorial Stadium every fall, our kids grow up loving the game. Hockey, wrestling, cheer, lacrosse, the list keeps growing, and so does something parents need to talk about openly: head injuries.
Why ‘Just a Bell Ringer’ Doesn’t Cut It Anymore
For years, a hard hit on the field was brushed off as “getting your bell rung.” Coaches would check for dizziness, the player would shake it off, and the next play would happen. We know better now. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury (TBI), full stop. Even a single concussion can disrupt how a young, still-developing brain communicates with itself.
If you’re the parent of a student athlete in the Omaha area, the question isn’t whether concussions happen. They will. The real question is: What do you do when standard concussion recovery isn’t working?
When ‘Rest in a Dark Room’ Isn’t Enough
Most local pediatricians and general practitioners follow a familiar protocol after a concussion: rest, limit screens, stay in a dark room, ease back into school and sports gradually. For many kids, this is enough. And that’s wonderful news.
But for some student athletes, the symptoms don’t fade on schedule. Common long-term TBI symptoms students in Omaha experience include:
- Headaches and migraines that just won’t go away
- Trouble concentrating in class or remembering instructions
- Brain fog that makes a once-strong student suddenly struggle
- Sleep problems and constant fatigue
- New irritability, anxiety, or emotional outbursts
- Sensitivity to light, sound, or screens
- Feeling “off track” and unable to follow a normal conversation
If your child is weeks or months past the injury and still dealing with any of these symptoms, you’re not imagining it, and you’re not alone. Rest, by itself, can only do so much. This is the gap where families often feel stuck, and it’s the reason why Omaha-area athletes need advanced concussion recovery options that go beyond a basic wait-and-see plan.
How Brain Health Nebraska Approaches Concussion Recovery Differently
At Brain Health Nebraska, our Omaha clinic was built on the idea that mental and neurological care should go beyond a routine checkup, and that’s especially true for young athletes. Dr. John D. Franzen, our board-certified psychiatrist, completed neuroscience research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center using advanced brain imaging (magnetoencephalography) and has a special interest in sports performance enhancement. In other words, he knows athletes’ brains.
Here’s what sets our approach apart:
1. Brain Mapping to See What’s Actually Going On
Instead of guessing, we use brain mapping as part of our intake. It gives us visibility into your child’s communication pathways, a tangible, data-driven look at where the brain may not be firing the way it should after an injury.
2. Personalized, Non-Drug Treatment Options
For eligible adolescents and adults, we offer Personalized rTMS (PrTMS®), a cutting-edge, noninvasive therapy that uses gentle magnetic pulses to stimulate specific regions of the brain. Unlike one-size-fits-all protocols, PrTMS is tailored to your child’s unique brain based on EEG and neurocognitive data, and adjustments are made weekly based on how they respond. There’s no medication, no anesthesia, and no downtime.
3. A Team That Actually Listens
We treat adolescents and adults, and we know how exhausting it is to be told your child is “fine” when you can clearly see they’re not. With regular sessions and check-ins, your family will never feel abandoned or “ghosted” on this recovery journey.
A Better Path Forward for Omaha Families
You don’t have to accept lingering TBI symptoms as the new normal. If your student athlete is still struggling after a concussion, whether it happened last week or last season, there are advanced concussion recovery options for athletes in Omaha worth exploring.
Call Brain Health Nebraska at 531-466-3899 now or use our online form to schedule a consultation. A better recovery starts with better brain health.