What Every Athlete Should Know About Concussion Treatment
When you’re young, fit, and active, it’s easy to feel invincible – like a minor collision on the field isn’t going to take you down or do any serious damage. You’re inclined to dust yourself off and jump back into the fray so that your team isn’t put at a disadvantage. While admirable, the idea of “playing through the pain” is antiquated and counterproductive for athletes. Although your active lifestyle does offer obvious health benefits, some types of injuries can cause lasting damage if you don’t deal with them immediately. This includes most head injuries, especially concussions, as failure to treat them properly at the time of the incident greatly increases the risk of serious cognitive and neurological problems years or even decades later.
Understanding Concussions in Athletes
What Is a Concussion?
A concussion is one of the most common types of head injuries in sports, involving mild trauma to the brain from impact. It can happen either with direct collision with another player or object, or from a sudden jolt without direct impact to the head. Concussions are clinically recognized as a type of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), and they can involve a variety of cognitive symptoms, including confusion and memory loss.
Why Concussions in Sports are So Common
In many sporting events, it is common for an athlete’s head to collide with another player, strike the playing mat or ground, or a goal post. Such biomechanical forces are known causes of brain injury. The sudden deceleration of your head, which happens during collisions (even those not involving the head), can also cause concussions, making them exceedingly common in sports.
Why Athletes Are at Higher Risk
Any high-intensity sport that involves significant contact poses some risk of collision, either with other players or with objects. This is why contact sports and extreme sports pose the greatest risk of concussions, especially football, hockey, and soccer.
Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms
Immediate Symptoms to Watch For
In case of head injuries in sports, you should look out for the following concussion symptoms:
- Blurring of vision and light sensitivity
- Confusion and headaches
- Dizziness and loss of balance
- Brain fog and trouble focusing
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of consciousness
Delayed or Subtle Symptoms
Very often, the symptoms of a concussion are subtle and can develop later. They are more likely to be noticed by others:
- Behavior and personality changes
- Mood swings and difficulty regulating emotions
- Impaired balance and coordination
- Slowed reaction time
- Memory loss
When to Seek Medical Attention
All head injuries in sports should be treated as potential concussions, as symptoms sometimes don’t show up immediately. However, severe concussions that could involve complications like hemorrhaging should be treated as a medical emergency. These types of concussions are more likely to involve symptoms such as:
- Severe and worsening headaches
- Blackouts and lingering balance problems
- Seizures and vomiting
- Severe and lasting confusion that even impairs face recognition
- Discharge from the nose or ears
- Tingling sensation in the arms or legs
- Slurring of speech
The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Management
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Risks
The main short-term risks associated with concussions in athletes involve disruption of everyday activities because of symptoms such as headaches, confusion, and nausea, as well as post-concussion restrictions to allow recovery. While short-term risks resolve within weeks, there are possible long-term risks that are more serious, including increased susceptibility to more serious brain injuries, behavioral changes, depression, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Why “Playing Through It” Is Dangerous
Lack of awareness and disregard for athlete safety gave rise to a culture of “playing through it”, but evidence shows that this is the worst thing you can do after a concussion. We now know that athletes should not return to the field or physical activities too quickly after a concussion, as they face an elevated risk of more serious concussions. These secondary concussions are termed as second-impact syndrome (SIS), and they can cause life-threatening complications, including brain bleeding and swelling. SIS is also linked to a long-term risk of mental health disorders and early-onset dementia.
The Concussion Recovery Process
Physical and Cognitive Rest
Rest is vital for recovery after a concussion and involves both physical and mental rest as you’re dealing with a brain injury. This means taking a break from any intense physical activity (sports or exercise) and cognitive tasks such as reading or playing video games.
Gradual Return-to-Play Protocol
Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Neurology recommend proper evaluation by a qualified doctor with expertise in sports concussions before returning to play. Usually, athletes will be put on rehabilitation programs under supervision, with aerobic exercises that gradually increase in intensity. More serious concussions can require further treatment and more intensive rehabilitation.
Evidence-Based Concussion Treatments
Vestibular Therapy
Vestibular therapy is a specialized exercise-based rehabilitation protocol that is used to relieve symptoms such as dizziness, loss of balance, and nausea, while enhancing recovery. Vestibular therapy is particularly effective when it is started within ten days to two weeks after a concussion. Today, some clinics also offer computerized vestibular therapy, in which technological innovations are leveraged to enhance treatment efficacy and increase personalization.
Cognitive Rehabilitation
Cognitive rehabilitation is an important component of concussion recovery and rehabilitation as it uses targeted mechanisms to strengthen memory and focus. This type of therapy is especially important when dealing with concussions that are long-lasting or have long-term effects. It works through remediation, which aims to rebuild and develop compensatory skills to restore quality of life.
Balance Training
Dizziness and loss of balance are often persistent symptoms after a concussion, making balance training a valuable therapy to address deficits and hasten recovery. This form of therapy uses sub-symptom threshold aerobic exercise to facilitate a gradual resumption of normal activities, slowly pushing the thresholds without exacerbating symptoms.
Concussion Prevention Tips for Athletes
Proper Technique and Training
- Drill with sport-specific safe techniques such as shoulder-first tackling and headers, so that they become instinctive.
- Use phased training approaches, starting with limited contact sessions and progressing to limited full-contact sessions.
- Practice neck strengthening and balance exercises so that your body can absorb impact better.
- Reduce the intensity and contact in training when dealing with fatigue.
Use of Protective Gear
- Always use protective gear such as helmets that are specifically designed for your sport and customized to match your size requirements.
- Replace and upgrade safety gear whenever there are signs of wear and tear or visible damage.
- Keep in mind that protective helmets can lower the risk of serious injury but will not eliminate concussions completely.
Building Awareness and Team Culture
Concussion awareness and a team culture that embraces safety are essential to lower the risk of concussions and long-term complications. This requires clear policies, education, and leadership so that not just players, but coaches, parents, and staff also understand concussion signs and how to respond in these situations.
How StabilityLAB Supports Athlete Recovery
Dr. Eytan David’s Expertise in Sports-Related Concussions
Dr. Eytan David, a renowned expert in vestibular and neurocognitive disorders, leads StabilityLAB. His prolific research in the field of neuroplasticity-based concussion care, pioneering work in Computerized Vestibular Retraining Therapy (CVRT), and vast experience treating elite athletes provide the basis for all of our programs.
Personalized, Evidence-Based Treatment Structure
At StabilityLAB, our concussion treatment sessions use a data-driven, neuroplasticity-based program that combines our proprietary DaVID protocol with CVRT, objective dynamic posturography measurements, and controlled sensory loading for a more personalized approach. This has been shown to improve recovery, restoring balance and stability within a shorter period of time.
Helping Athletes Regain Performance and Clarity
Our customized CVRT programs allow us to address symptoms and deficits that are specific to each individual, ensuring that athletes regain their performance and clarity with measurable return-to-play goals. Get in touch with our experts to find out how we can help you achieve a fuller and faster recovery.
Sources:
- https://journals.lww.com/headtraumarehab/abstract/2015/05000/reach_and_knowledge_change_among_coaches_and_other.7.aspx
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5619443/
- https://www.aan.com/siteassets/home-page/tools-and-resources/practicing-neurologist–administrators/patient-resources/sports-concussion-resources/17concussionsummarycoaches_tr.pdf
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11079349/
- https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/1/90
- https://journals.lww.com/jnpt/fulltext/2018/07000/vestibular_rehabilitation_is_associated_with.4.aspx
