Concussions: What Every Parent Should Know

Concussions have been a misunderstood type of injury for many years.  Thankfully, this is changing.  Awareness of concussion symptoms and the long-term implications of mismanagement is growing.  This is thanks in part to new data about the long-term effects of concussions, as well as some high profile athletes like Sidney Crosby suffering from repetitive injuries.  For parents, knowing a few simple facts will help make sure your young athlete is cared for properly.  First and foremost, it is important to understand that concussion is a brain injury.  Your brain is made of very delicate tissue that can be damaged with head trauma.  Although the skull protects this delicate part of our bodies, blows to the head, even low force ones, cause brain tissue to strike the inner surface of the skull, leading to inflammation and damage.  Second, loss of consciousness is not the only sign of a concussion. For years, athletes who had had “their bell rung” but weren’t knocked out, were routinely ushered back onto the playing field.  We now know that this is not the best course of action.  Signs and symptoms of concussion can include headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, speech changes, visual disturbances, dizziness, and confusion, among others.  If any one or more of these are present, concussion should be suspected and the athlete should not return to the field of play until evaluated by a doctor.  After ruling out more serious injury, the doctor will often recommend a gradual return to school/play protocol that will usually be spread out over 1-4 weeks depending on the severity of the injury. Initially, this will often include a period of time where the child should be kept away from bright lights and loud noises.  This will allow adequate time for healing and reduce the chances of there being any cumulative effect should another head injury occur.  There are many valuable resources available through national and provincial sports organizations like Hockey Canada that can provide more detailed recommendations for assessment and management for parents, coaches and trainers.  Be sure to become familiar with these guidelines if you are involved with children who could be at risk of head injuries.  And if you have any other questions, be sure to ask you chiropractor or physiotherapist.