SIRC at the JCSMS - Day 2

Tackling Sport Concussion
by Nancy Rebel, SIRC

Did you know

• 58% of all concussions occur in practice (high school & college football)
• 140,000 concussions a year in US high school sport (football #1, girls’ soccer #2)

Presenter: Dr. Robert Cantu, MD
A lot of research has been done in concussion management, but it has really taken off since 2001. There is still much to be done. The best treatment for concussion, other than prevention, is physical and cognitive rest. It takes 5-10 days to recover from the symptoms of concussion, but in actual fact it takes the brain 3-4 weeks to really approach recovery. The length of time that symptoms occur is key in determining how serious the concussion is. The longer the symptoms last, the more severe the concussion is. For many injuries you can still play safely depending on the severity. However with spinal or head injury there is no such thing as playing hurt. The athlete should not participate while exhibiting any symptoms of spinal injury or concussion. It is about repetitive brain trauma, not just about the number of concussions.

“If in doubt, sit them out!”

Youth Concussion Management
Presenter: Gerard Gioia, PhD

• Lack of education & awareness
• Under-identification & under-recognition
• Poor/incomplete management

Whereas in the professional leagues you see team physicians on the sidelines to deal with diagnosis and management, on the youth level there are parents and coaches. It is important that they are aware that it is not just concussion that they should be aware of, but any trauma to the head that may contribute to the build up of brain trauma. “If in doubt, sit them out” Again, not just physical rest , but cognitive rest. As an athlete they sit out, as a student they should also be “benched”.

Online Resources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Concussion & Traumatic Brain Injury
SportsConcussions.org
NCAA Guidelines and Best Practices (multimedia resources)
Consensus Statement On Concussion in Sport (international Medical Associations)

For more information on sports concussion contact SIRC