Effects of Concussions on Athletes

 A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that occurs when the brain hits the skull. This is caused by either a direct blow to the head or a whiplash effect of the head, which causes the brain to move. Athletes who have sustained concussions are usually given 7 to 10 days to recover from this injury. Health care professionals treat concussions as if they are a broken bone. Give the patient a certain amount of  time to recover from the injury and you’ll be 100% healed. The brain is clearly not a bone, and the treatment of concussions needs to be handled with more care. 


Treatment of Concussions: 

Most cases are handled by giving the athlete a week off from participation to rest. Then the athlete is expected to return to full participation of the sport, or return to school/work.  Studies have shown that the physical symptoms of concussions can last up to 3 months, and the mental symptoms can last even longer. 

Symptoms of a concussion: 

    1. Short Term 

    • Loss of consciousness 
    • Nausea 
    • Headache
    • Vomiting 
    • Sensitivity to light 
    • Difficulty concentrating 
    • Forgetfulness 
    • Difficulty balancing 
    • Blurry Vision
    • Ringing Ears
    2.  Long Term 
    • Increased depression
    • Increased anxiety 
    • Increased aggression 
    • Slowed reaction time 
    • Memory loss
        Clearly we are not giving the athlete enough time to recover from a concussion. There a many different short term symptoms. It doesn’t seem plausible that an athlete can recover from all of those symptoms in 10 days. Also, the long term effects of these concussions are causing major mental health disorders later in life. It has been found that athletes with concussions develop major depressive disorder later in life. This recovery time of concussions becomes crucial when we start to learn about the long term effects of this injury. Especially as the number of concussions the athlete sustains, the recovery time becomes even more important. Studies have found that the more concussions one sustains, the increase severity of the long terms effects. That means that after the 1st concussion is sustained, the recovery time should be even longer for the athlete. A full recovery is the only way to possibly treat these long term effects. The only way to reach a full recovery is to allow these athletes to rest for longer following an injury. 


Coaches and Athletic Trainers:

Coaches and athletic trainers must be looking for the signs of a concussion. If you see the athlete exhibiting any of the short term symptoms, such as difficulty balancing, loss of consciousness, or forgetfulness, take the athlete out of the game. The athlete’s health is more important than the game, especially when this injury can have such negative effects in the future. Athletic trainers shouldn’t allow the athlete to return to play until they are fully recovered, which may take over a month. Do not base the recovery off of a computer test, take a physical examination as well. If they are still showing any signs of any symptoms do not clear them to play. 

Order of Return to Play: 
Only move to next stage if no symptoms present during current stage. 
  • Rest 
  • Light Activity - Return to school 1/2 days or walks
  • Moderate Activity - Regular everyday activity outside of sport and exercise (full school/work) 
  • Regular Activity - Back to exercise in stages 
    • Light Aerobic Activity - 10 minutes of light jogging, no weight lifting 
    • Moderate Activity - Brief running, light weight lifting 
    • Heavy, Non-contact Activity - Sprinting, normal weight lifting 
    • Practice and Full Contact - Regular practice routine 
    • Competition - Compete in games 
        If all of these steps are followed and no short cuts are taken, the effects of concussions could decrease. Coaches and athletic trainers need to follow these guidelines to keep their players as healthy as possible. The athletes need to understand the effects of concussions and don’t pretend to be healthy to return to play. Allow the brain to recover fully to avoid any long term symptoms. 

Websites that can provide additional information: 

About the Author:


Kyle Paynter is a senior at Westfield State University studying Movement Science with a concentration in Sports Medicine. Aspiring to attain a Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Contact information: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-paynter

References: 

Decq, P., Gault, N., Blandeau, M., Kerdraon, T., Berkal, M., ElHelou, A., Dusfour, B., & Peyrin, J. C.
    (2016). Long-term consequences of recurrent sports concussion. Acta neurochirurgica, 
    158(2), 289-300.

Kontos, A.P., Covassin, T., Elbin, R. J., & Parker, T. (2012). Depression and neurocognitive performance  
     after concussion among male and female high school and collegiate athletes. Archives of physical 
    medicine and rehabilitation, 93(10), 1751-1756.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (February 12, 2019). Concussion Sign and Symptoms.   

American Association of Neurological Surgeons. (N.d). Concussion.     

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