Concussion Doesn't Only Occur in Sports

Summer is just around the corner; an exciting time for all, but especially for the young (and young at heart) who enjoy taking full advantage of our great outdoors. Whether you or your child are involved in summer sports like Cricket, club activities such as Surf Lifesaving, or simply getting out on bike, there is ample fun to be had.

As we all understand, injuries are a part of an active lifestyle and concussions are no different. People may often think of concussion as something that is associated with high contact sports, such as Australian Rules, however, did you know that a head clash is not required to sustain a concussion? Impact of any kind, depending on the forces involved, can be a risk factor for a concussion, from body-to-body contact in basketball to a rough wave in the surf. In addition, whilst safety measures, such as helmets, are extremely important for protection against head trauma, they have not been proven to provide any significant protection against concussion.

When identified in a timely fashion, concussions can be safely treated and allow an individual to be rehabilitated back to the point of doing the things they love. If one is not identified, however, there can be more serious negative outcomes; especially in the event of another impact.

As such, the early identification of a concussion is greatly important, yet approximately 50% go unreported. This could be due to a lack of understanding of the signs and symptoms of concussion, or simply due to a lack of the injured individual reporting what they are feeling. Taking the time to have a discussion with your child about concussions and the importance of reporting anything out of the ordinary, should help to decrease the number of unreported incidents and improve the prognosis for recovery.

If an impact has been sustained and there are signs or symptoms of a suspected concussion, it is best to err on the side of caution until proven otherwise. In saying this, it is also important not to allow this event, whilst stressful, to become overwhelming and develop a negative or pessimistic mindset, as this has been shown to potentially exacerbate symptoms and delay recovery.

An assessment and rehabilitation plan that focuses on establishing solid patient (and carer) education and focus on the individual presentation of the given patient, has been shown to be effective in the rehabilitation from a concussion.

At The Sports Injury Clinic, our concussion program is founded on these principles and utilises the most up to date evidence from the international team in the Complete Concussion Management network, in order to ensure the best possible quality of care for you and your child. Call us on 9783 9990 or book online.