Risk For Concussions

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Decreasing the risk for concussions Is it possible to prevent concussions? More than half of football and hockey players report suffering concussions each season! Players can do certain things to decrease the risk for concussion. This is a four-point program. Tell your players these four things. 1. Wear a helmet certified for your sport. Make sure the helmet fits tight. It should not move around on your head. The helmet should be attached by a chin or neck strap. 2. Wear a mouthguard, preferably fitted by a dentist. While there is no proof that the use of a mouthguard decreases the risk for concussions, it may be useful in certain situations. 3. Hydrate. A hydrated player makes better decisions and can make better plays. A hydrated player…show more content…
If your athlete meets the criteria for having a concussion when you test him or her, remove the athlete from the game or practice and from all further athletic activity until a physician or certified athletic trainer clears him or her for such activity. Resist the parent or well-meaning bystander who offers to make that choice for you. These guidelines are for the good of the student athlete and are not negotiable under any circumstances. If available, computerized psychometric testing may be helpful to assess when a player should return to play. There have been various grading scales to evaluate the seriousness of a concussion. According to guidelines established at an International Conference on Concussions in Sports in Vienna 2001, concussions are no longer graded; if a player has had head trauma and has sustained a concussion of any severity, the player cannot return to play on the day of the concussion. Those previously used grading scales have been found not to be useful to determine when a player can return to play. Regardless of the recommendations of others, if your gut feeling tells you to bench a player, do not let anyone — players, parents, coaches, fans, or circumstances — change your mind. You are never wrong to keep a…show more content…
Proceed to the next level if free of symptoms at the current level. If any signs or symptoms occur, drop back to the previous level, and progress to next level again after 24 hours. 1. No activity, complete rest 4. Non-contact training drills 2. Light aerobic activity, exercise such as walking or stationary cycling 5. Full-contact training after clearance by a sports medicine professional 3. Sports-specific training such as skating 6. Return to competition EmErGEnCy
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