WHAT IS CONCUSSION?
This blog was first published in September 2011. Yet every day I speak with people who are unsure whether or not symptoms they are seeing is sign of a concussion or something else. Earlier this month a parent called me to ask whether frontal head pain could simply be early spring allergies or is it the concussion? And, she went on, if it is allergy than her son can play in the upcoming lacrosse jamboree. Yes? I have written a blog about post-injury head aches and I assume she did not read it. My answer to the question was carefully worded but amounted to "even if your son had an outbreak of his seasonal allergy symptoms the fact is that he sustained a blow to his head resulting in confusion, poor short term memory, and head pain suggesting that he should not participate in the jamboree." When my words fall on deaf ears I remind parents that the physician has the final say on return to play. Generally, I speak with physicians and educate them as best I can about the need to be symptom free before exertion. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently published a consensus statement on concussion that has updated pediatricians about current return to play protocols.
There is a myth among many people that believes that in order to be diagnosed with a concussion the athlete must be knocked unconscious. You can't believe how many people I interview who say "it wasn't a concussion because he wasn't knocked out." The truth is that cerebral concussion can occur whenever there is sufficient force applied to the skull to cause a disruption in cogntive functioning. The lapse in functioning may be quite subtle or it can be dramatic such as frank confusion and disorientation. Recovery often takes 1-2 weeks but symptoms can remain longer in complex cases.
The Concussion Assessment and Management Program (CAMP) offers consultation to schools and individual teams about concussion management and return-to-play protocols. It is very important to rest after concussion and be completely symptom free before trying to get back on the field. When an athlete is cleared to play by his or her physician he should return slowly in a step-by-step way to assure that symptoms do not return. In coming blogs Dr. Sefton will provide education about concussion and the impact it has on a student's functioning in school.
The website below offers more detail about returning to play after concussion.
www.concussionassessment.com
