Returning to Play from a Concussion

The permanent link in this blog Pages talks about concussion symptoms. One of the hardest things to do as a parent maybe deciding not to put your kid in the game. This isn't an easy issue. The other hardest thing is trying to figure out whin it is safe for them to go back in the game. When are they ready to play after a hit to the head? A lot of research is beginning to describe concussion symptoms and grades of concussions. The grades of concussions are supported by time periods before returning to the game.

Hockey is an exciting sport my son loves. Checking is part of the game but hits to the head and back should carry harsher penalties. There is room for physical play in hockey, not head shots. I urge USA Hockey to increase the penalties for head shots and hits from behind. 2 minutes is not enough to change behavior. Below is some interesting information about having you child return to the game after a concussion. I included a link to the original article.


Link to Entire Article at Brainline.org

Returning to play

The athlete or child with a concussion most often wants to know "When can I play again?"
Half of children with concussions have post-concussive symptoms. Most concussions recover over three to seven days. Before returning to play, it is important to determine the number of most recent concussions. This is one of the best indicators of a whether or not to return to play.

Those who return to play too soon may risk a serious brain injury be having a second impact, especially within the first two weeks. This can be associated with devastating outcomes, even death. This is called second impact syndrome. Second impact syndrome occurs when the already swollen brain is re-injured and swells further.

Physicians and athletic trainers should be conservative about return to play. The key is good follow-up through the primary care physician, who will assess the child individually, evaluating the entire pattern of injury — the initial physical symptoms, how long the symptoms lasted, how the injury happened and the recovery time to being symptom-free.

If needed, a neurologist, neurosurgeon or neuro-psychologist may evaluate cognition, attention and concentration. This means evaluating the speed of information processing, memory and learning. The child may have no symptoms, but still have deficits in learning, memory and processing information.

A computer software tool is now available to assist certified athletic trainers and health care professionals with the evaluation of an athlete suspected of having sustained a concussion. This is most valid when the athlete has taken a pre-season "baseline" test to which post-injury scores can be compared. A decline in scores connotes concussion, while improvement in scores suggests recovery. This information combined with complete resolution of symptoms can lead to a confident return-to-play decision.


Returning to play within one season

Use the following scale to determine if a child may return to play:

Grade 1 — May return to play when symptom-free for one week
Grade 2 — May return to play when symptom-free for two weeks
Grade 3 — May return to play when symptom-free for one month